Another 2.3 earthquake shook Oost -Tennessee on July 27, according to the United States Geological Survey. The small earthquake had an epicenter just east of Knoxville in Mascot, Tennessee.
The earthquake rattled the region at 12:16 pm on Sunday morning, according to the USGS. It had a very shallow depth of 2.4 kilometers, or about 1.5 miles below the earth's surface.
Shallow earthquakes, such as the event of July 27, are generally not felt as broad as those who occur deeper under the earth's surface, according to USGS scientist Jessica Turner. Small, shallow earthquakes can be felt in a contains and refined area.
The universal magnitude scale shows that earthquakes can be felt as small as 2.5 in a community and cause minor damage. According to earthquake experts from Michigan Tech University, usually starts at 5.5 size.
To an estimated 500,000 earthquakes from 2.5 to 5.4 include every year.
This is the fifth earthquake that takes place in the East -Tennessee alone in the past month. All events are considered 'fairly small', because none of the earthquakes had a size larger than 3.0.
Although that sounds like a lot of seismic activity, the pattern and frequency are normal for the region, according to Turner.
In 2024, according to USGS data, East Tennessee saw seven earthquakes between 29 June and 28 July. All earthquakes were under a 2.5 -size and are considered small.
How often do earthquakes happen in Tennessee?
Earthquakes are fairly common in East -Tennessee. Since the beginning of 2025, there have been more than 35 earthquakes in East -Tennessee. One of those earthquakes was a major event of 4.1-magnitude, which took place on 10 May. Five of those events happened in July.
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July 27: Mascot, Tennessee, 2,3 Magnitude
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July 20: Athens, Tennessee, 2,4 Magnitude
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July 14: Dayton, Tennessee, 2,2 Magnitude
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July 9: Greenback, Tennessee, 2,6 Magnitude
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July 1: Lone Oak, Tennessee, 2.3 Magnitude
There were 177 earthquakes in Tennessee in 2024, according to USGS data. Ten of them were 2.5 size or higher.
What were the strongest earthquakes in Oost -Tennessee?
These are the 10 strongest earthquakes to rattle East -Tennessee since 1900, according to USGS data.
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4.7 Magnitude – Alcoa (1973)
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4.5 Magnitude – Greenville (1928)
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4.4 Size – Decatur (2018)
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4.2 Magnitude – Vonore (1987)
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4.1 Magnitude – New Tazewell (1956)
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4.1 Magnitude – Luttrell (1913)
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3.8 Size – Tazewell (1997)
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3.8 Size – Fincastle (2020)
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3.7 Magnitude – Ducktown (1979)
Is it possible to prepare for an earthquake?
Unlike tornados or hurricanes, scientists cannot predict earthquakes. USGS scientists do not know where or when an earthquake can happen; They can only estimate the chance of such geological events.
However, that does not mean that you cannot prepare for the possibility of an earthquake.
Before an earthquake takes place, make an emergency plan and protect heavy items in your house and objects hanging on the wall, according to ready.gov. Save all heavy or fragile objects on low shelves.
When an earthquake takes place, it is important to fall on the ground, grab a sturdy object and cover your head, according to ready.gov. If you are outside when an earthquake starts messing around, go to an open area without buildings, trees, street lamps and high -voltage lines.
Allison Kiehl reports on trending and crust news for the Tennessee Connect team. E -Mail: [email protected]
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: East Tennessee sees 5 earthquakes in July 2025. Is this normal?
