MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE — Two earthquakes have struck within the New Madrid Seismic Zone over the past two days, with a Magnitude 3.5 earthquake occurring in southern Illinois yesterday followed by a Magnitude 2.9 earthquake in southeastern Missouri today. Both quakes occurred within the broader New Madrid Seismic Zone, one of the most seismically active regions east of the Rocky Mountains, stretching across portions of Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Arkansas.
While the back-to-back quakes have understandably raised questions among residents, officials emphasize there is currently no scientific evidence indicating either event is a sign that a much larger earthquake is imminent.
Where the Two Earthquakes Occurred
The Magnitude 3.5 earthquake struck in southern Illinois, with its epicenter located near the Paducah, Kentucky corridor along the northeastern stretch of the New Madrid Seismic Zone. The Magnitude 2.9 earthquake that followed today occurred further southwest in southeastern Missouri, closer to the Jonesboro, Arkansas area along the same fault system.
The New Madrid Seismic Zone itself extends in a diagonal line from the Missouri Bootheel through Arkansas, Tennessee, and into western Kentucky, passing near major population centers including Memphis, Jackson, and Paducah, all of which sit within or close to the active fault corridor.
Why Small Earthquakes Do Not Predict Larger Ones
Seismologists explain that small earthquakes are actually common in the New Madrid Seismic Zone and represent part of the region’s ongoing natural seismic activity rather than a precursor to a major event. Current science cannot precisely predict when or where a large earthquake will occur, and individual small earthquakes like the two recorded this week do not necessarily indicate that a larger event is about to follow…