3.1 Magnitude Earthquake Reported In Tennessee

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If you think you felt the ground move in the early hours of Tuesday morning (May 31), you weren't imagining it. A low-scale earthquake shook a small area of West Tennessee around 3:30 a.m., per FOX 17.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a 3.1-magnitude earthquake about 7.5 miles northwest of Newbern, Tennessee, at 8:40 a.m. UTC, which is 3:40 a.m. local time. The quake was reported at a depth of 11.4 kilometers, or about seven miles.

According to the USGS, West Tennessee runs near a large fault called the New Madrid Seismic Zone that is responsible for many quakes felt in the region. Tennessee, however, does not typically experience earthquakes, the news outlet reports. In fact, the Volunteer State averages about six quakes per year, according to a report from Home Facts.

Tuesday's earthquake comes less than one day after another quake was reported near the Tennessee border with North Carolina. On Monday (May 31), the USGS recorded a 1.8-magnitude earthquake near Carter County, North Carolina, about seven miles south of the Tennessee border, per WJHL. The low-scale quake, which occurred shortly after 8 p.m. ET, had a depth of about 2.6 miles. As of Monday morning, there have been no reports of anyone who felt the quake.


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