QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 3.2md

Earthquake near Ridgely, TN

No earthquake was likely felt in Ridgely in the 24 hours to 7:01 pm CST (01:01 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 3.2 earthquake was recorded 13 km (8 mi) southeast of Ridgely, TN, at 3:40 am CDT on 31 May 2022 (08:40 UTC), 11 km deep. 152 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 12 km SE of Ridgely, Tennessee

3:40 am CDT, May 31, 2022 · · 11 km deep · released about 2,000 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Dyer County 15 kmLake County 19 kmObion County 29 kmPemiscot County 36 kmFulton County 44 kmGibson County 46 kmCrockett County 46 kmNew Madrid County 52 kmLauderdale County 52 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
3:40 am CDT on 31 May 2022 ()
Where
13 km (8 mi) southeast of Ridgely, TN · earthquakes near Ridgely
Magnitude
M 3.2 (md)
Depth
11 km below the surface
Felt
152 reports · strongest reported intensity IV
Nearest
Dyer County, 15 km S
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 1100 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 195 km (121 mi) from the epicentre. In Ridgely, 13 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 17 km, intensity III · Tiptonville 23 km, intensity III · Caruthersville 25 km, intensity III · Portageville 39 km, intensity III · Steele 42 km, intensity III · New Madrid 47 km, intensity III. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 2,000 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 4.2 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Northridge, California 1994 M 6.7 170,000× the energy of this one
  2. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 7,700× the energy of this one
  3. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 5,400× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 3.2 about 2,000 lb of TNT
  5. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 this one released 2.1× more

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 36.1852, -89.3807. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Dyer County, TN 15 km (9 mi) S earthquakes near Dyer County
Lake County, TN 19 km (12 mi) NNW earthquakes near Lake County
Obion County, TN 29 km (18 mi) NE earthquakes near Obion County
Pemiscot County, MO 36 km (23 mi) W earthquakes near Pemiscot County
Fulton County, KY 44 km (28 mi) NNE earthquakes near Fulton County
Gibson County, TN 46 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

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

  1. 1.8 7 km ESE of Marston, Missouri
  2. 1.7 southeastern Missouri
  3. 1.8 9 km NW of Tiptonville, Tennessee
  4. 1.8 6 km ESE of Marston, Missouri
  5. 2.3 7 km NNW of Tiptonville, Tennessee
  6. 2.0 southeastern Missouri
  7. 2.1 6 km ENE of Steele, Missouri
  8. 2.0 3 km SSE of Holland, Missouri
  9. 1.6 8 km NNW of Tiptonville, Tennessee
  10. 2.2 5 km ENE of Steele, Missouri
  11. 1.6 4 km WNW of Ridgely, Tennessee
  12. 1.5 6 km SE of Tiptonville, Tennessee
  13. 1.7 7 km SSW of Ridgely, Tennessee
  14. 1.7 2 km S of Howardville, Missouri
  15. 1.6 4 km SW of Samburg, 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.