QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.3md

Earthquake near McMinnville, TN

No earthquake was likely felt in McMinnville in the 24 hours to 8:14 am CST (14:14 UTC). The last one was M 2.5, 27 km (17 mi) SE, at 7:54 am CST on 2 November 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 3 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near McMinnville

This page: a magnitude 2.3 earthquake was recorded 12 km (7 mi) east-southeast of McMinnville, TN, at 11:33 pm CST on 18 January 2022 (05:33 UTC), 14 km deep. 12 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 11 km ESE of McMinnville, Tennessee

11:33 pm CST, Jan 18, 2022 · · 14 km deep · released about 91 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Warren County 12 kmVan Buren County 19 kmGrundy County 27 kmSequatchie County 37 kmWhite County 37 kmBledsoe County 41 kmCannon County 41 kmCoffee County 42 kmDeKalb County 42 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
11:33 pm CST on 18 January 2022 ()
Where
12 km (7 mi) east-southeast of McMinnville, TN · earthquakes near McMinnville
Magnitude
M 2.3 (md)
Depth
14 km below the surface
Felt
12 reports · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Warren County, 12 km WNW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1685 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 35 km (22 mi) from the epicentre. In McMinnville, 12 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.

Earthquakes near other towns within 30 km: Spencer, Altamont, Gruetli-Laager.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 91 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 10× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.3 about 91 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 35.6355, -85.6552. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Warren County, TN 12 km (7 mi) WNW earthquakes near Warren County
Van Buren County, TN 19 km (12 mi) ENE earthquakes near Van Buren County
Grundy County, TN 27 km (17 mi) S earthquakes near Grundy County
Sequatchie County, TN 37 km (23 mi) SE earthquakes near Sequatchie County
White County, TN 37 km (23 mi) NNE earthquakes near White County
Bledsoe County, TN 41 km (25 mi) E earthquakes near Bledsoe County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.5 13 km NE of Beersheba Springs, Tennessee
  2. 2.1 7 km SSW of Dunlap, Tennessee
  3. 2.2 9 km NNW of Graysville, Tennessee
  4. 2.2 10 km W of Graysville, Tennessee
  5. 2.6 14 km W of Graysville, Tennessee
  6. 2.3 13 km W of Graysville, Tennessee
  7. 2.1 13 km W of Graysville, Tennessee
  8. 2.6 9 km NNW of Graysville, Tennessee
  9. 2.2 8 km ENE of Dunlap, Tennessee
  10. 2.2 9 km SE of Palmer, 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.