Earthquake Recorded Beneath Missouri’s Black River Saturday

Just when you think you've seen it all, the New Madrid Fault finds a way to surprise you. That happened Saturday morning when the USGS confirmed an earthquake strong enough to be felt directly under the Black River in Missouri.

According to the USGS, this tremor happened in the early morning hours of Saturday, June 6 at approximately 2:37am. It was a 2.4 magnitude quake centered almost directly below the Black River in southern Missouri. It was very near the Markham Spring Recreation Area in the Mark Twain National Forest.

While a 2.4 magnitude quake isn't even close enough in strength to do any damage, it is strong enough to be felt, but the fact that this early Saturday quake happened in a very remote area with no one nearby (other than maybe a few campers) was why the USGS has no felt reports as of this writing.

Do small quakes mean a larger event is more likely now?

There is such a thing as a foreshock before a major earthquake, but there's no way to know if minor earthquakes like the one under the Black River means a bigger New Madrid quake will follow. Could it? Sure. Is it likely? Nope. The location of this Saturday quake isn't the typical ones we see in the Missouri boot heel frequently, but there has been several minor quakes near Lake Wappapello recently.

The USGS says there is roughly a 25% to 40% chance of a magnitude 6.0 or greater earthquake in the New Madrid Seismic Zone within the next 50 years. That is a big enough risk that having an emergency plan is vital as that type of destructive, major quake will likely give no warning before it hits. Let's hope that doesn't become a reality any time soon.