QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.6md

Earthquake near Newbern, TN

No earthquake was likely felt in Newbern in the 24 hours to 1:26 pm CST (19:26 UTC). The last one was M 2.0, 13 km (8 mi) NNW, at 11:37 am CDT on 19 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 1 felt report to USGS. Every earthquake near Newbern

This page: a magnitude 1.6 earthquake was recorded 12 km (7 mi) west-northwest of Newbern, TN, at 6:26 am CDT on 15 March 2019 (11:26 UTC), 7.3 km deep.

USGS: 11 km WNW of Newbern, Tennessee

6:26 am CDT, Mar 15, 2019 · · 7.3 km deep · released about 9 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Dyer County 11 kmLake County 22 kmObion County 31 kmPemiscot County 37 kmCrockett County 44 kmGibson County 44 kmFulton County 48 kmLauderdale County 49 kmNew Madrid County 55 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
6:26 am CDT on 15 March 2019 ()
Where
12 km (7 mi) west-northwest of Newbern, TN · earthquakes near Newbern
Magnitude
M 1.6 (md)
Depth
7.3 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Dyer County, 11 km S
Nearest mapped fault
Reelfoot scarp and New Madrid seismic zone, 2 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 2797 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 Newbern, 12 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: Dyersburg, Ridgely, Obion, Caruthersville, Tiptonville, Troy.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 9 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.6 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 1,700,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 1,200,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 110× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.6 about 9 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 36.1552, -89.3830. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Dyer County, TN 11 km (7 mi) S earthquakes near Dyer County
Lake County, TN 22 km (14 mi) NNW earthquakes near Lake County
Obion County, TN 31 km (19 mi) NE earthquakes near Obion County
Pemiscot County, MO 37 km (23 mi) W earthquakes near Pemiscot County
Crockett County, TN 44 km (27 mi) SSE earthquakes near Crockett County
Gibson County, TN 44 km (28 mi) ESE earthquakes near Gibson County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.5 9 km NW of Tiptonville, Tennessee
  2. 1.7 4 km NW of Tiptonville, Tennessee
  3. 2.4 5 km NNW of Ridgely, Tennessee
  4. 1.7 4 km SE of Ridgely, Tennessee
  5. 1.6 6 km NW of Dyersburg, Tennessee
  6. 1.7 2 km E of Ridgely, Tennessee
  7. 2.2 9 km NW of Tiptonville, Tennessee
  8. 2.3 8 km NW of Tiptonville, Tennessee
  9. 1.8 6 km SE of Marston, Missouri
  10. 2.1 5 km NNW of Ridgely, Tennessee
  11. 1.9 5 km NW of Ridgely, Tennessee
  12. 1.7 1 km E of Ridgely, Tennessee
  13. 2.5 2 km E of Ridgely, Tennessee
  14. 1.8 1 km E of Ridgely, Tennessee
  15. 1.7 7 km NNW of Tiptonville, Tennessee

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.