JEFFERSON COUNTY, Ill. — A magnitude 2.3 earthquake struck about 4 miles northwest of Mount Vernon, Illinois, Monday evening, according to the United States Geological Survey.
The quake hit around 7:28 p.m. and had a depth of about 9.6 miles. Its epicenter was located west of Interstate 57, near East Strawbridge Road. Did you feel it? Click here to tell the USGS.
The quake happened in the Illinois Basin – Ozark Dome region, which borders the New Madrid seismic zone. The region covers parts of Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, and Arkansas and stretches from Indianapolis and St. Louis to Memphis.
Moderately frequent earthquakes occur at irregular intervals throughout the region. The largest historical earthquake in the region (magnitude 5.4) damaged southern Illinois in 1968.
Just a few weeks ago, on April 29, another minor quake hit Valley Park in St. Louis County, which is also part of the Ozark Dome region. Its magnitude was 2.8.