Tennessee EARTHQUAKE: Magnitude 4.4 quake hits Decatur - Georgia and Atlanta also rocked

[Swordsmyth]

The quake hit 11 km (6 milesi) from Decatur in the state of Tennessee at about 9.14 am (UTC). It was centered about 7 miles north-northeast of Decatur. This was followed by another 3.3 magnitude aftershock, which struck at 9.27am (UTC). The US Geological Survey (USGS) said shaking was also reported in the state of Georgia, with residents in Atlanta also reporting feeling their homes shake.

The 4.4 earthquake was the second strongest quake on record to strike eastern Tennessee, according to the USGS.
The strongest ever registered was in 1973 when a 4.7 magnitude quake hit near Maryville.
It is currently unclear whether the quake caused any damage.
Thousands of people took to social media after being woken by tremors.

More at: https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1057758/Tennessee-earthquake-decatur-georgia-earthquake-news-us

 

[oyarde]

Hard to believe that would be stronger than the New Madrid earthquakes of 1811 - 1812

 

[Swordsmyth]

Hard to believe that would be stronger than the New Madrid earthquakes of 1811 - 1812

But they didn't have scientific measurements of that one.

 

[Zippyjuan]

Hard to believe that would be stronger than the New Madrid earthquakes of 1811 - 1812

That was estimated at 7.5 to 7.9 but was centered in Arkansas- not Tennessee (near but not in Tenn).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1811–12_New_Madrid_earthquakes

 

[Zippyjuan]

https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news...-frequently-than-most-u-s-decatur/2292023002/

Earthquakes rock East Tennessee more frequently than most of the U.S.


As far as earthquakes go, East Tennessee is on shaky ground.

The region experiences more seismic activity than just about anywhere else in the eastern United States, though Wednesday morning’s 4.4 magnitude quake near Decatur was atypically intense for the area.

More: East Tennessee jolted by strongest earthquake to hit area in 45 years

Also: Tennesseans react to rare 4.4 magnitude earthquake

The last East Tennessee earthquake that was more intense happened on Oct. 30, 1973, when a 4.7-magnitude quake rocked Maryville. On March 28, 1913, an even stronger quake struck Knoxville with an estimated magnitude of up to 5.9.

In 2014, the United States Geological Survey increased the earthquake hazard potential of the area, rating parts of East Tennessee at the second-highest level of risk (on a scale from 1 to 7) – including much of Blount, Knox, Loudon and Monroe counties.

The only other regions east of the Rockies with that much hazard potential are in the South Carolina Seismic Zone (limited to South Carolina's central coastal area) and the New Madrid Seismic Zone (which includes much of West Tennessee as well as smaller areas of Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky and Illinois).

John Bellini, a geophysicist with USGS, said “there is a history of earthquakes” in the Eastern Tennessee Seismic Zone, which extends into northwest Georgia and northeast Alabama.

He said the Decatur-area quake, which was felt as far away as Atlanta, and the 3.0-magnitude aftershock that followed were among some 140 “measurable” quakes (with a 2.5 magnitude or higher) in East Tennessee since the mid-1970s.

Bellini said that the Wednesday morning earthquake was “unlikely to be the bearer of something larger,” though he added, “I wouldn’t be surprised to see a few more (aftershocks) over the next few days” as a result of settling.

Although earthquakes are common in East Tennessee, Bellini noted that the region is far less susceptible to major quakes than California and Alaska, the latter of which suffered a 7.0-magnitude quake near Anchorage on Nov. 30.

Anything with a magnitude of 7.0 or higher is labeled a “major earthquake,” with serious damage a likely result.

 

[euphemia]

We are all fine, thanks for asking. Slept right through.

Oyarde, you are correct. The 1811-12 quakes were the worst in history. This is how Reefoot Lake was formed. It is reported that the seismic activity was so strong that the Mississippi River actually flowed backwards. There are two faults in that area—Reelfoot and New Madrid. Both were involved in this series of earthquakes and aftershocks that took place during that 2-3 month period. While there was no recording equipment at that time, the destruction was complete in New Madrid and other places, and permanent geological changes occurred.

 

[Matt Collins]

Ironically, I was just there 2 days ago. Not my fault...

 

[oyarde]

Here in Southern Indiana the Madrid Quakes caused massive change . Prior to that most of it was nearly marsh land and undesirable to white settlers . At that time other than the Buffalo traces you pretty well needed to use the waterways to travel any distance . It caused draining into the rivers on large scale that made a lot of ground more suitable for agriculture and increased population and statehood . It brought the demise of freedom much more rapidly than it would have occurred . Even today Southern Indiana is much more populated than it probably would have been otherwise .