QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.7md

Earthquake near Ridgely, TN

No earthquake was likely felt in Ridgely in the 24 hours to 10:08 am CST (16:08 UTC). The last one was M 1.6, 3 km (2 mi) NNE, at 9:02 pm CDT on 31 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Ridgely

This page: a magnitude 1.7 earthquake was recorded 3 km (2 mi) northwest of Ridgely, TN, at 12:17 am CST on 16 November 2018 (06:17 UTC), 9.0 km deep.

USGS: 3 km NW of Ridgely, Tennessee

12:17 am CST, Nov 16, 2018 · · 9.0 km deep · released about 10 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Lake County 6 kmPemiscot County 26 kmDyer County 27 kmObion County 34 kmNew Madrid County 37 kmFulton County 42 kmDunklin County 51 kmLauderdale County 59 kmGibson County 61 km
Distance rings around the epicentre, with the nearest towns at their true direction and later quakes as coloured dots. Not a shaking map — see the USGS ShakeMap for that.
When
12:17 am CST on 16 November 2018 ()
Where
3 km (2 mi) northwest of Ridgely, TN · earthquakes near Ridgely
Magnitude
M 1.7 (md)
Depth
9.0 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Lake County, 6 km NNE
Nearest mapped fault
Reelfoot scarp and New Madrid seismic zone, under 1 km from its surface trace — near is not the same as on
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2917 days ago

This was a minor earthquake. Quakes this small are rarely felt and do not cause damage.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 7 km (4 mi) from the epicentre. In Ridgely, 3 km away, the estimate is intensity II (weak). Estimated from magnitude, depth and distance with the intensity equation USGS Did You Feel It? uses; felt reports, where there are any, are the measurement.

Earthquakes near other towns within 30 km: Tiptonville, Caruthersville, Hayti, Portageville, Obion, Newbern.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 10 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.7 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 1,500,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 1,100,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 95× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.7 about 10 lb of TNT

Energy from the Gutenberg–Richter relation (log10E = 1.5M + 4.8), rounded to two figures; bar length is magnitude, which is already a logarithm of energy. Magnitudes of past earthquakes from the USGS catalogue.

For this area

No earthquake of M4 or more has been recorded within 50 km since our catalogue begins in 2016.

Before 2016, the USGS record since 1900 lists no earthquake of M5 or more within 50 km.

Since 2016: the QuakeIndex catalogue (US, M1.5+), built from the USGS FDSN event service. Before 2016: USGS ComCat, M5+ from 1900. Distances are between epicentres. This is the record, not a forecast.

Where

Epicentre 36.2822, -89.5133. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Lake County, TN 6 km (4 mi) NNE earthquakes near Lake County
Pemiscot County, MO 26 km (16 mi) WSW earthquakes near Pemiscot County
Dyer County, TN 27 km (17 mi) SSE earthquakes near Dyer County
Obion County, TN 34 km (21 mi) ENE earthquakes near Obion County
New Madrid County, MO 37 km (23 mi) NNW earthquakes near New Madrid County
Fulton County, KY 42 km (26 mi) NE earthquakes near Fulton County

Places and coordinates from the US Census Bureau Gazetteer (2024). Distances are from the epicentre.

Aftershocks so far

60 earthquakes have been recorded within 50 km since this one.

  1. 1.7 7 km E of Hayward, Missouri
  2. 1.8 11 km SE of Ridgely, Tennessee
  3. 1.9 6 km SSE of New Madrid, Missouri
  4. 2.0 9 km NE of Samburg, Tennessee
  5. 2.1 0 km NNW of Cooter, Missouri
  6. 2.6 9 km SSE of Ridgely, Tennessee
  7. 2.2 9 km SE of Marston, Missouri
  8. 2.2 7 km ENE of Steele, Missouri
  9. 1.6 3 km WNW of Ridgely, Tennessee
  10. 2.0 11 km NW of Dyersburg, Tennessee
  11. 1.7 3 km WNW of Marston, Missouri
  12. 1.6 5 km NNW of Ridgely, Tennessee
  13. 1.6 7 km ESE of Marston, Missouri
  14. 1.6 6 km NW of Ridgely, Tennessee
  15. 2.3 4 km N of North Lilbourn, Missouri

Counted from the QuakeIndex database, which ingests the USGS feed every 30 seconds · as of . QuakeIndex does not forecast aftershocks. When USGS issues an operational aftershock forecast it appears on the USGS event page.

On USGS

QuakeIndex does not issue warnings. For earthquake early warning see ShakeAlert.