2.8

M2.8 Earthquake 8 km WNW of Dyersburg, Tennessee — March 20, 2025

2025-03-20 20:23:40 UTC (2025-03-20) · approx. 2:23 PM UTC-6 local

Felt by 32 people across nearby locations.

MagnitudeM2.8(md)
Time20:23 UTC≈ 2:23 PM UTC-6
Depth10.2 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates36.062°, -89.474°
Felt by32DYFI responses
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On March 20, 2025 at 20:23 UTC, a magnitude 2.8 shallow crustal earthquake struck 8 km WNW of Dyersburg, Tennessee, at a depth of 10.2 km and coordinates 36.0623°, -89.4743°. This earthquake was detected by 59 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 131, 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 36.06°, -89.47°

Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking

Aggregated felt-report intensity from 32 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 8 km WNW of Dyersburg, Tennessee

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

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
2.8 md
Depth
10.2 km
shallow crustal
Location
36.0623°N
-89.4743°E
Felt Reports
32
DYFI responses
Community Intensity
4.1
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
nm60601281
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
131
Stations Used
59
Azimuthal Gap
55.0°
Min Station Distance
0.041°
RMS Residual
0.10 sec
Last Updated
2025-12-30 21:54:16 UTC

Common Questions

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

The magnitude 2.8 earthquake that struck 8 km WNW of Dyersburg, Tennessee on March 20, 2025 at 20:23 UTC had a depth of 10.2 km. For context, this was a minor earthquake typically detected only by instruments.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at 36.0623°, -89.4743°, which is 8 km WNW of Dyersburg, 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: nm60601281). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2025, March 20, 2025). M2.8 Earthquake 8 km WNW of Dyersburg, Tennessee — March 20, 2025. Retrieved December 30, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/nm60601281/