QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.2md

Earthquake near Ridgely, TN

No earthquake was likely felt in Ridgely in the 24 hours to 7:00 pm CST (01:00 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 2.2 earthquake was recorded 7 km (4 mi) east-southeast of Ridgely, TN, at 2:26 am CDT on 24 September 2020 (07:26 UTC), 6.9 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 6 km ESE of Ridgely, Tennessee

2:26 am CDT, Sep 24, 2020 · · 6.9 km deep · released about 67 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Lake County 12 kmDyer County 21 kmObion County 28 kmPemiscot County 33 kmFulton County 40 kmNew Madrid County 44 kmGibson County 52 kmCrockett County 54 kmLauderdale County 57 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
2:26 am CDT on 24 September 2020 ()
Where
7 km (4 mi) east-southeast of Ridgely, TN · earthquakes near Ridgely
Magnitude
M 2.2 (md)
Depth
6.9 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Lake County, 12 km NNW
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 2239 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 33 km (21 mi) from the epicentre. In Ridgely, 7 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.

Likely felt in: Tiptonville 16 km, intensity II · Caruthersville 22 km, intensity II · Dyersburg 23 km, intensity II · Portageville 32 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 67 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.2 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 230,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 160,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 14× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.2 about 67 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 36.2430, -89.4177. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Lake County, TN 12 km (7 mi) NNW earthquakes near Lake County
Dyer County, TN 21 km (13 mi) S earthquakes near Dyer County
Obion County, TN 28 km (17 mi) ENE earthquakes near Obion County
Pemiscot County, MO 33 km (21 mi) W earthquakes near Pemiscot County
Fulton County, KY 40 km (25 mi) NNE earthquakes near Fulton County
New Madrid County, MO 44 km (28 mi) NNW earthquakes near New Madrid County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.0 6 km NNW of Dyersburg, Tennessee
  2. 1.7 6 km ESE of Marston, Missouri
  3. 1.5 3 km NNW of Ridgely, Tennessee
  4. 2.0 southeastern Missouri
  5. 2.3 8 km ENE of Steele, Missouri
  6. 1.9 2 km NE of Ridgely, Tennessee
  7. 2.5 1 km WNW of Howardville, Missouri
  8. 1.6 6 km NW of Tiptonville, Tennessee
  9. 1.6 7 km NW of Tiptonville, Tennessee
  10. 1.9 3 km ESE of Steele, Missouri
  11. 1.6 1 km SW of Marston, Missouri
  12. 2.6 8 km N of New Madrid, Missouri
  13. 1.7 8 km NW of Tiptonville, Tennessee
  14. 1.7 7 km SW of Caruthersville, Missouri
  15. 2.0 8 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.