M2.3 Earthquake 4 km E of Lawrenceville, Illinois — August 17, 2023
2023-08-17 17:25:44 UTC (2023-08-17) · approx. 11:25 AM UTC-6 local
Felt by 26 people across nearby locations.
On August 17, 2023 at 17:25 UTC, a magnitude 2.3 shallow crustal earthquake struck 4 km E of Lawrenceville, Illinois, at a depth of 4.2 km and coordinates 38.7238°, -87.6298°. This earthquake was detected by 17 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 95, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 2.3 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 47.1 kg of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 24 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 26 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Earthquake Details
-87.6298°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 2.3 earthquake near Lawrenceville, Illinois?
The magnitude 2.3 earthquake that struck 4 km E of Lawrenceville, Illinois on August 17, 2023 at 17:25 UTC had a depth of 4.2 km. For context, this was a minor earthquake typically detected only by instruments.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 38.7238°, -87.6298°, which is 4 km E of Lawrenceville, Illinois.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 2.3 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: nm60501038). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, August 17, 2023). M2.3 Earthquake 4 km E of Lawrenceville, Illinois — August 17, 2023. Retrieved October 27, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/nm60501038/