Odd New Madrid Quake Centered Under Mississippi River Wednesday

If you're interested in earthquakes and specifically the New Madrid Seismic Zone in Missouri, there's a tremor you might find odd that has been confirmed today by the USGS that struck almost directly under the Mississippi River.

According to the USGS, this admittedly minor earthquake was recorded at approximately 6:47am Wednesday, October 8, 2025 just east of Marston, Missouri

The magnitude is obviously not a big deal, but it's the location that is to me. If you zoom in to the epicenter shared by the USGS, you'll see that it's located almost directly under the Mississippi River.

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I bring this up because it reminded me of a theory that I tried to debunk a few months ago that a "crack under the Mississippi River was a sign of an imminent megaquake". The crack under the Mississippi River is a real thing called the Reelfoot Rift, but it's not new and scientists have known about it forever. The sensationalists would love for you to believe that the earth under the Mississippi River is cracking which will cause a megaquake, but that's simply not true. Yes, the New Madrid Fault is capable of a major quake someday, but no scientists aren't trying to predict it and will not lose sleep over a 2.1 magnitude quake almost under the river. Do I find it interesting? Absolutely. Will I continue to go about my day without any unnecessary panic. You betcha.