QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.3md

Earthquake near Greeneville, TN

No earthquake was likely felt in Greeneville in the 24 hours to 4:23 am EST (09:23 UTC). The last one was M 2.3, 2 km (2 mi) ENE, at 4:37 am EDT on 26 September 2025, estimated intensity III (weak) in town; 90 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Greeneville

This page: a magnitude 2.3 earthquake was recorded 2 km (2 mi) east-northeast of Greeneville, TN, at 4:37 am EDT on 26 September 2025 (08:37 UTC), 8.2 km deep. 90 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 2 km ENE of Greeneville, Tennessee

43 km (26 mi) WSW of Johnson City, TN · 105 km (65 mi) ENE of Knoxville, TN

4:37 am EDT, Sep 26, 2025 · · 8.2 km deep · released about 91 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Greene County 4 kmWashington County 31 kmHawkins County 33 kmMadison County 35 kmUnicoi County 36 kmCocke County 40 kmHamblen County 42 kmHancock County 54 kmYancey County 55 km
Distance rings around the epicentre, with the nearest towns at their true direction. Not a shaking map — see the USGS ShakeMap for that.
When
4:37 am EDT on 26 September 2025 ()
Where
2 km (2 mi) east-northeast of Greeneville, TN · earthquakes near Greeneville
Magnitude
M 2.3 (md)
Depth
8.2 km below the surface
Felt
90 reports · strongest reported intensity IV
Nearest
Greene County, 4 km WNW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 335 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 37 km (23 mi) from the epicentre. In Greeneville, 2 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: Tusculum, Chuckey, Mosheim.

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 36.1690, -82.8050. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Greene County, TN 4 km (2 mi) WNW earthquakes near Greene County
Washington County, TN 31 km (19 mi) ENE earthquakes near Washington County
Hawkins County, TN 33 km (21 mi) NNW earthquakes near Hawkins County
Madison County, NC 35 km (22 mi) SSE earthquakes near Madison County
Unicoi County, TN 36 km (22 mi) ESE earthquakes near Unicoi County
Cocke County, TN 40 km (25 mi) SW earthquakes near Cocke County

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

Aftershocks so far

No further earthquakes have been recorded within 50 km since this one.

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.