The earthquake was about 15 miles deep, the USGS says, which is considered a shallow quake.  It was the seventh earthquake with a 4.0 magnitude or greater since 1900 and the first since a 4.

The quake could be felt in parts of the Carolinas, Alabama, Kentucky, Georgia and Virginia, according to early data from USGS.

The quake originated near Greenbeck, Tennessee, about 30 miles southwest of Knoxville, according to the US Geological Survey.