Tennessee Earthquake Rocks Southeast
By Hollie Silverman
A4.1 magnitude earthquake in Tennessee shook parts of the Southeast early Saturday morning.
The quake struck south of Greenback, Tennessee, about 30 miles south of Knoxville, just after 9 a.m., according to data from the United States Geological Service (USGS).
Why It Matters
The epicenter of the quake sits along the Eastern Tennessee Seismic Zone (ETSZ), an active area for earthquakes in the region that stretches out around 186 miles.
Saturday's earthquake is the second strongest one to be felt in the last 25 years, with a 4.4 magnitude recorded near Decatur, Tennessee, in December 2018. It is also one of the top 10 strongest magnitude earthquakes to hit the region over more than 100 years, according to data from the USGS.
What To Know
The earthquake struck a depth of around 15 miles, USGS data shows. Greenback is located near Chilhowee Lake, which sits between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Cherokee National Forest.
Thomas Pratt, a researcher with the USGS, told Newsweek via phone on Saturday that today's earthquake is "a little on the larger size," but added that "it's not a surprise to get an earthquake like this."
"It's [the region] got a history of earthquakes going back many, many years," he said.
While Pratt says the strongest earthquake recorded in the region was around a 4.5 magnitude, "it's conceivable that larger earthquakes could occur."
Pratt explained that "this is not uncommon in the ETSZ. It's a little on the larger side, but we get earthquakes out there very routinely."
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He said the ETSZ starts in north Georgia and runs along the border of Tennessee and North Carolina.
"It's the zone we know the least about in the U.S." Pratt told Newsweek, adding that the depth of the earthquakes has made it difficult to study.
"We can only measure seismicity," Pratt said. "[We've] looked for fault scars, surfaces rupturing in earthquakes in the past [and] haven't found much."
The quake was felt by people as far north as London, Kentucky, and as far south as Sharpsburg, Georgia, a map from the USGS shows. The map also shows the quake could be felt in parts of Alabama and the Carolinas.
A seismic instrument picked up movement all the way in the Shawnee State Forest in southern Ohio and as far south as Montrose, Georgia, according to a USGS map.
Knoxville News Sentinel reported that the fire department and police department in Knoxville have not received any reports of damage.
Earthquake Shocks the SoutheastA
A 4.1 magnitude earthquake struck near Greenback, Tennessee, on May 10. USGS
What People Are Saying
Brad Panovich, meteorologist for Charlotte-based local television news station WCNC, posted on X, formerly Twitter: "The M 4.1 Earthquake was felt over a large area. Which is common in the Eastern US where we don't have as many faults, the seismic waves can travel much farther and be felt over larger distance is because of our bedrock. Unlike west coast quakes which are felt only closer to the epicenter."
Brandon Lawson, meteorologist for Queen City News, also based in Charlotte, wrote on X: "It is not shocking that today's earthquake was felt so far from the epicenter in eastern Tennessee. We have fewer faults on the East Coast, which allows seismic waves to travel much further. The older, denser rocks on the east also allow energy of seismic waves to spread better."
What Happens Next?
Pratt told Newsweek that aftershocks are expected.
"It wouldn't surprise us to see some aftershocks when you have an earthquake of this size," he said. "There is a very small chance it could lead to something bigger. So, we can't eliminate that possibility. We can't say it won't happen but it's very unlikely."
Should another earthquake or aftershock occur, Pratt says it's best to drop, cover and hold on.
USGS estimates there is a 22 percent risk of an aftershock with a magnitude of 3 or above. There is a 5 percent chance of an aftershock over 4 magnitude and less than a 1 percent chance of an aftershock of 5 magnitude and above.
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