QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.8md

Earthquake near Dyersburg, TN

No earthquake was likely felt in Dyersburg in the 24 hours to 6:30 am CST (12:30 UTC). The last one was M 2.0, 21 km (13 mi) NNE, at 11:37 am CDT on 19 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 1 felt report to USGS. Every earthquake near Dyersburg

This page: a magnitude 2.8 earthquake was recorded 8 km (5 mi) north-northwest of Dyersburg, TN, at 11:35 pm CST on 3 February 2020 (05:35 UTC), 12 km deep. 106 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 8 km NNW of Dyersburg, Tennessee

11:35 pm CST, Feb 3, 2020 · · 12 km deep · released about 450 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Dyer County 6 kmLake County 26 kmPemiscot County 35 kmObion County 37 kmCrockett County 41 kmLauderdale County 43 kmGibson County 45 kmFulton County 54 kmDunklin County 58 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
11:35 pm CST on 3 February 2020 ()
Where
8 km (5 mi) north-northwest of Dyersburg, TN · earthquakes near Dyersburg
Magnitude
M 2.8 (md)
Depth
12 km below the surface
Felt
106 reports · strongest reported intensity V
Nearest
Dyer County, 6 km SSE
Nearest mapped fault
Reelfoot scarp and New Madrid seismic zone, 4 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 2196 days ago

This was a small earthquake. Shaking like this is often felt indoors nearby and very rarely causes damage.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 60 km (37 mi) from the epicentre. In Dyersburg, 8 km away, the estimate is intensity III (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.

Likely felt in: Dyersburg 8 km, intensity III · Caruthersville 24 km, intensity III · Tiptonville 31 km, intensity II · Steele 37 km, intensity II · Portageville 44 km, intensity II · Blytheville 49 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 450 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.8 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 34,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 24,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 2.1× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.8 about 450 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 36.1052, -89.4157. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Dyer County, TN 6 km (4 mi) SSE earthquakes near Dyer County
Lake County, TN 26 km (16 mi) NNW earthquakes near Lake County
Pemiscot County, MO 35 km (22 mi) WNW earthquakes near Pemiscot County
Obion County, TN 37 km (23 mi) NE earthquakes near Obion County
Crockett County, TN 41 km (25 mi) SE earthquakes near Crockett County
Lauderdale County, TN 43 km (26 mi) SSW earthquakes near Lauderdale 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 1 km SW of Ridgely, Tennessee
  2. 1.7 7 km SE of Marston, Missouri
  3. 1.7 3 km ESE of Ridgely, Tennessee
  4. 1.8 6 km NNE of Blytheville, Arkansas
  5. 1.8 6 km W of Ridgely, Tennessee
  6. 1.8 3 km NNE of Blytheville, Arkansas
  7. 1.6 4 km E of Steele, Missouri
  8. 1.8 11 km S of Ridgely, Tennessee
  9. 1.5 5 km NW of Ridgely, Tennessee
  10. 1.7 6 km W of Tiptonville, Tennessee
  11. 1.8 6 km ENE of Steele, Missouri
  12. 1.7 4 km SSW of Caruthersville, Missouri
  13. 1.6 5 km WNW of Ridgely, Tennessee
  14. 2.1 9 km NNE of Tiptonville, Tennessee
  15. 1.5 8 km NNE 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.