QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.3md

Earthquake near Ridgely, TN

No earthquake was likely felt in Ridgely in the 24 hours to 7:36 am CST (13:36 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 2.3 earthquake was recorded 10 km (6 mi) south-southeast of Ridgely, TN, at 12:58 am CDT on 27 August 2023 (05:58 UTC), 9.1 km deep.

USGS: 10 km SSE of Ridgely, Tennessee

12:58 am CDT, Aug 27, 2023 · · 9.1 km deep · released about 88 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Dyer County 14 kmLake County 18 kmPemiscot County 32 kmObion County 33 kmFulton County 47 kmCrockett County 49 kmLauderdale County 49 kmGibson County 50 kmNew Madrid County 50 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
12:58 am CDT on 27 August 2023 ()
Where
10 km (6 mi) south-southeast of Ridgely, TN · earthquakes near Ridgely
Magnitude
M 2.3 (md)
Depth
9.1 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Dyer County, 14 km SSE
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 1171 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 36 km (22 mi) from the epicentre. In Ridgely, 10 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: Dyersburg 17 km, intensity II · Caruthersville 20 km, intensity II · Tiptonville 22 km, intensity II · Portageville 36 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 88 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.3 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 170,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 120,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 11× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.3 about 88 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 36.1802, -89.4363. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Dyer County, TN 14 km (9 mi) SSE earthquakes near Dyer County
Lake County, TN 18 km (11 mi) NNW earthquakes near Lake County
Pemiscot County, MO 32 km (20 mi) W earthquakes near Pemiscot County
Obion County, TN 33 km (20 mi) NE earthquakes near Obion County
Fulton County, KY 47 km (29 mi) NNE earthquakes near Fulton County
Crockett County, TN 49 km (30 mi) SE earthquakes near Crockett 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. 2.1 southeastern Missouri
  2. 1.7 0 km SSE of Caruthersville, Missouri
  3. 1.5 9 km NW of Tiptonville, Tennessee
  4. 1.9 6 km SE of Marston, Missouri
  5. 1.6 2 km SE of Ridgely, Tennessee
  6. 1.9 2 km NNE of Marston, Missouri
  7. 1.5 2 km NE of Marston, Missouri
  8. 1.6 southeastern Missouri
  9. 2.0 3 km SE of Ridgely, Tennessee
  10. 2.3 southeastern Missouri
  11. 1.6 0 km E of Howardville, Missouri
  12. 1.5 1 km E of Ridgely, Tennessee
  13. 2.3 2 km W of Newbern, Tennessee
  14. 1.9 3 km W of Newbern, Tennessee
  15. 2.0 3 km WSW of Newbern, 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.