QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.3md

Earthquake near Lawrenceburg, TN

No earthquake was likely felt in Lawrenceburg in the 24 hours to 6:29 pm CST (00:29 UTC). The last one was M 4.0, 242 km (151 mi) WNW, at 12:59 pm CDT on 23 April 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 913 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Lawrenceburg

This page: a magnitude 2.3 earthquake was recorded 11 km (7 mi) east-northeast of Lawrenceburg, TN, at 8:47 pm CST on 1 February 2017 (02:47 UTC), 2.0 km deep. 3 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 9 km SE of Ethridge, Tennessee

8:47 pm CST, Feb 1, 2017 · · 2.0 km deep · released about 88 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Lawrence County 17 kmGiles County 18 kmLewis County 38 kmMaury County 41 kmMarshall County 47 kmWayne County 54 kmLimestone County 55 kmLauderdale County 56 kmLincoln 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
8:47 pm CST on 1 February 2017 ()
Where
11 km (7 mi) east-northeast of Lawrenceburg, TN · earthquakes near Lawrenceburg
Magnitude
M 2.3 (md)
Depth
2.0 km below the surface
Felt
3 reports · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Lawrence County, 17 km WSW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 3486 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 38 km (24 mi) from the epicentre. In Lawrenceburg, 11 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.

Earthquakes near other towns within 30 km: Pulaski, Loretto, Mount Pleasant.

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 35.2657, -87.2222. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Lawrence County, TN 17 km (10 mi) WSW earthquakes near Lawrence County
Giles County, TN 18 km (11 mi) ESE earthquakes near Giles County
Lewis County, TN 38 km (24 mi) NW earthquakes near Lewis County
Maury County, TN 41 km (26 mi) NNE earthquakes near Maury County
Marshall County, TN 47 km (29 mi) ENE earthquakes near Marshall County
Wayne County, TN 54 km (34 mi) W earthquakes near Wayne County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.4 11 km W of Elkton, Tennessee
  2. 2.3 6 km W of Lexington, Alabama
  3. 2.1 7 km NNE of Iron City, 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.