M2.1 earthquake southeastern Missouri
A magnitude 2.1 earthquake struck in southeastern Missouri on Wed, Sep 2, 1981, 12:43 PM CDT (17:43 UTC), 8 km (5 mi) below the surface.
A larger quake followed: M2.4 9 km N of New Madrid, Missouri. This one was a foreshock.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 2.1 (md), micro
- Local time
- UTC
- 1981-09-02 17:43:46 UTC
- Depth
- 8.1 km (5.0 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 36.690° N, 89.510° W
- Region
- Missouri
- Tsunami flag
- No
- Status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
Did you feel it?
No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.
How well it is located
Reviewed by a seismologist.
- Depth from
- From location
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 15 in the 60 days after this one and 6 in the 30 days before it.
After
- 1.62 km N of Marston, Missouri · 16451 days ago · 5 km deep · 19 km away
- 1.83 km E of Marston, Missouri · 16450 days ago · 6 km deep · 20 km away
- 1.60 km S of Howardville, Missouri · 16449 days ago · 5 km deep · 17 km away
- 1.73 km NNE of Thebes, Illinois · 16447 days ago · 10 km deep · 62 km away
- 1.81 km SE of Olmsted, Illinois · 16443 days ago · 12 km deep · 66 km away
- 2.49 km N of New Madrid, Missouri · 16437 days ago · 3 km deep · 3 km away
- 2.34 km WSW of Howardville, Missouri · 16431 days ago · 10 km deep · 19 km away
- 2.54 km WSW of Howardville, Missouri · 16429 days ago · 8 km deep · 19 km away
- 1.67 km SSE of Tiptonville, Tennessee · 16426 days ago · 7 km deep · 42 km away
- 1.510 km S of Hornbeak, Tennessee · 16422 days ago · 7 km deep · 53 km away
- 1.76 km E of Steele, Missouri · 16420 days ago · 8 km deep · 70 km away
- 2.01 km NE of North Lilbourn, Missouri · 16408 days ago · 5 km deep · 13 km away
- 2.51 km ESE of Ridgely, Tennessee · 16407 days ago · 7 km deep · 48 km away
- 2.44 km SSW of Caruthersville, Missouri · 16406 days ago · 11 km deep · 61 km away
- 1.77 km SSW of Samburg, Tennessee · 16406 days ago · 5 km deep · 42 km away
Before
- 1.74 km SSW of Holland, Missouri · 16458 days ago · 7 km deep · 82 km away
- 1.710 km ENE of Friendship, Tennessee · 16461 days ago · 15 km deep · 89 km away
- 1.54 km WNW of Marston, Missouri · 16462 days ago · 3 km deep · 21 km away
- 1.91 km SE of Gosnell, Arkansas · 16469 days ago · 13 km deep · 92 km away
- 1.93 km SW of Pascola, Missouri · 16478 days ago · 2 km deep · 59 km away
- 4.09 km SW of Yorkville, Tennessee · 16483 days ago · 23 km deep · 79 km away
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Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nm601564. Read Wed, Sep 23, 2026, 5:04 AM UTC.