2.8

M2.8 Earthquake 3 km ESE of Ridgely, Tennessee — May 1, 2023

2023-05-01 18:45:54 UTC (2023-05-01) · approx. 12:45 PM UTC-6 local

Felt by 39 people across nearby locations.

MagnitudeM2.8(md)
Time18:45 UTC≈ 12:45 PM UTC-6
Depth6.2 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates36.251°, -89.449°
Felt by39DYFI responses
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On May 1, 2023 at 18:45 UTC, a magnitude 2.8 shallow crustal earthquake struck 3 km ESE of Ridgely, Tennessee, at a depth of 6.2 km and coordinates 36.2508°, -89.4488°. This earthquake was detected by 34 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 130, placing it among routine seismic activity.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 2.8 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 215 kg of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 49 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.

The epicenter is located in Tennessee, a region characterized by the New Madrid Seismic Zone, a failed continental rift where reactivated ancient faults produced the devastating 1811-1812 earthquake sequence. The nearest mapped fault system is the New Madrid Seismic Zone. View all earthquakes in Tennessee.

Learn more: New Madrid Seismic Zone · Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences

Map showing earthquake epicenter at 36.25°, -89.45°

Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking

Aggregated felt-report intensity from 39 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.

USGS DYFI community-reported intensity map for the M2.8 earthquake near 3 km ESE of Ridgely, Tennessee

Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
2.8 md
Depth
6.2 km
shallow crustal
Location
36.2508°N
-89.4488°E
Felt Reports
39
DYFI responses
Community Intensity
3.1
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
nm60523031
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
130
Stations Used
34
Azimuthal Gap
49.0°
Min Station Distance
0.031°
RMS Residual
0.11 sec
Last Updated
2023-07-15 22:10:47 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 2.8 earthquake near Ridgely, Tennessee?

The magnitude 2.8 earthquake that struck 3 km ESE of Ridgely, Tennessee on May 1, 2023 at 18:45 UTC had a depth of 6.2 km. For context, this was a minor earthquake typically detected only by instruments.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at 36.2508°, -89.4488°, which is 3 km ESE of Ridgely, Tennessee. View all earthquakes in Tennessee.

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 2.8 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.

Has Tennessee had earthquakes this big before?

The largest recorded earthquake in Tennessee was the M7.5 New Madrid earthquake of February 7, 1812. Today's magnitude 2.8 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.

Actions

View on USGSDid You Feel It?

Location

Tennessee
View all Tennessee earthquakes

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: nm60523031). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, May 1, 2023). M2.8 Earthquake 3 km ESE of Ridgely, Tennessee — May 1, 2023. Retrieved July 15, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/nm60523031/