QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 3.2md

Earthquake near Tiptonville, TN

No earthquake was likely felt in Tiptonville in the 24 hours to 10:10 am CST (16:10 UTC). The last one was M 2.3, 8 km (5 mi) SW, at 2:20 pm CDT on 29 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Tiptonville

This page: a magnitude 3.2 earthquake was recorded 5 km (3 mi) southeast of Tiptonville, TN, at 12:09 am CST on 11 November 2022 (06:09 UTC), 4.4 km deep. 26 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 5 km SE of Tiptonville, Tennessee

12:09 am CST, Nov 11, 2022 · · 4.4 km deep · released about 1,800 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Lake County 5 kmObion County 26 kmFulton County 32 kmDyer County 32 kmNew Madrid County 34 kmPemiscot County 35 kmMississippi County 55 kmHickman County 55 kmGibson County 59 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
12:09 am CST on 11 November 2022 ()
Where
5 km (3 mi) southeast of Tiptonville, TN · earthquakes near Tiptonville
Magnitude
M 3.2 (md)
Depth
4.4 km below the surface
Felt
26 reports · strongest reported intensity IV
Nearest
Lake County, 5 km WSW
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 1390 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 185 km (115 mi) from the epicentre. In Tiptonville, 5 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: Tiptonville 5 km, intensity III · Portageville 26 km, intensity III · Caruthersville 26 km, intensity III · New Madrid 28 km, intensity III · Dyersburg 35 km, intensity III · Steele 46 km, intensity III · East Prairie 49 km, intensity III. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 1,800 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 6.7 180,000× the energy of this one
  2. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 8,200× the energy of this one
  3. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 5,800× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 3.2 about 1,800 lb of TNT
  5. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 this one released 1.9× 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 36.3435, -89.4330. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Lake County, TN 5 km (3 mi) WSW earthquakes near Lake County
Obion County, TN 26 km (16 mi) E earthquakes near Obion County
Fulton County, KY 32 km (20 mi) NE earthquakes near Fulton County
Dyer County, TN 32 km (20 mi) S earthquakes near Dyer County
New Madrid County, MO 34 km (21 mi) NW earthquakes near New Madrid County
Pemiscot County, MO 35 km (22 mi) WSW earthquakes near Pemiscot County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.6 southeastern Missouri
  2. 2.0 6 km ENE of Steele, Missouri
  3. 2.1 7 km SE of Marston, Missouri
  4. 1.6 5 km SE of Marston, Missouri
  5. 2.0 4 km NW of Marston, Missouri
  6. 3.1 7 km S of Catron, Missouri
  7. 1.6 7 km NW of Ridgely, Tennessee
  8. 1.6 southeastern Missouri
  9. 1.7 5 km NW of Ridgely, Tennessee
  10. 1.7 3 km ESE of Ridgely, Tennessee
  11. 2.0 6 km SSE of Ridgely, Tennessee
  12. 1.7 7 km NNW of Tiptonville, Tennessee
  13. 1.8 southeastern Missouri
  14. 1.8 5 km SE of Marston, Missouri
  15. 1.6 5 km ESE of Marston, 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.