A 2.6-magnitude earthquake shakes Knoxville, East Tennessee. Was it an aftershock? What to know
Another 2.6-magnitude earthquake rattled Tennessee on July 9 around 8:52 p.m., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The earthquake happened in Greenback, Tennessee, near the site of the 4.1-magnitude earthquake that was felt across Tennessee and nearby states on May 10.
The July 9 earthquake was relatively shallow, occurring about 16.5 miles below the surface.
The universal magnitude scale shows that earthquakes as minor as 2.5 can be felt in a community and could cause minor damage. Typically, building damage starts at 5.5 magnitude, according to earthquake experts at Michigan Tech University.
An estimated 500,000 earthquakes of 2.5 to 5.4 magnitude happen each year.
It's unclear if the two recent Tennessee earthquakes are connected, according to USGS Scientist Jessica Turner. The 2.6-magnitude earthquake may have been an aftershock of the May geological event; however, it occurred a bit northwest of the larger earthquake. Typically, aftershocks happen directly on top of the original earthquake's location.
A 2.6-magnitude earthquake rattled Greenback, Tennessee, on July 9, 2025.
Greenback, Tennessee, is about 30 miles southwest of Knoxville and 52 miles west of Gatlinburg.
This story will continue to be updated.
Allison Kiehl reports on trending and breaking news for the Tennessee Connect team. Email: [email protected]
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: A 2.6-magnitude earthquake shakes Knoxville, East Tennessee. Was it an aftershock? What to know
