Several small quakes rattle region in past month

The New Madrid Fault has seen a fair amount of activity in the past several days — the latest a magnitude-2.9 earthquake early Friday centered near Caruthersville, Missouri.

The U.S. Geological Survey reported the small quake struck at 4:16 a.m. near the intersection of Hickory and 14th streets. The epicenter was reported at depth of 5.4 miles. No damage or injuries were reported.

About a dozen residents in Missouri and Arkansas on Friday reported feeling the quake on the USGS “Did You Feel It?” interactive website.

Another minor earthquake struck at 4 a.m. Tuesday 10 miles east-southeast of Luxora, Arkansas. The epicenter was reported at a depth of 7.5 miles, and the earthquake reportedly caused no damage or injury. No residents reported feeling the earthquake on the USGS website.

A magnitude-3.3 earthquake struck 7:57 a.m. Thanksgiving Day, again near Caruthersville. That quake caused no damage or injuries, but more than 20 people in several states — Tennessee, Mississippi, Missouri, Arkansas and Kentucky — reported feeling the earthquake.

Another minor earthquake struck at 2:35 p.m. Nov. 7, about 6.2 miles east of Bardwell, Kentucky. The epicenter of that earthquake was reported as near the surface — less than one-tenth of a mile. Again, no injuries or damage was reported.

The New Madrid Seismic Zone is a 150-mile ancient fault that stretches south from Cairo, Illinois, through Southeast Missouri and into parts of Arkansas and Tennessee.

Minor earthquakes are common in the New Madrid Seismic Zone. The USGS states there is broad agreement in the scientific community a continuing concern exists for a major destructive earthquake in the New Madrid Seismic Zone.

Four major earthquakes have occurred along the fault since record keeping began, most notably a series of quakes in 1811-1812. Some of those quakes exceeded 8.0 on the Richter scale and caused massive damage in the Bootheel region.

Pertinent address:

Caruthersville, Mo.

Luxora, Ark.

Bardwell, Ky.