Small quake rattles town near St. Louis

OLYMPIAN VILLAGE, Mo. -- A 2.9-magnitude earthquake rattled residents but caused no injuries or significant damage Thursday morning in parts of Jefferson County, south of St. Louis.

The quake was centered near the towns of Olympian Village and De Soto, said Julie Martinez, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Society's Earthqake Center in Golden, Colo. It occurred at 8:01 a.m.

Some residents reported hearing a loud noise, raising concerns about an explosion. But Martinez said reports like that are common, even with small quakes.

"It's just the sound from the ground moving," Martinez said. "A lot of times it is mistaken for an explosion."

The region sits along the New Madrid Fault, and small quakes are common, Martinez said.