DECATUR, Tenn. — East Tennessee's strongest earthquake in decades continues to be studied by geologists as aftershocks continue to be felt near the epicenter this week.
The 4.4 earthquake struck around 4:14 a.m. on Dec. 12.
The University of Memphis Center for Earthquake Research and Information (CERI) has been studying the quake, saying it was felt strongly over an area of 90,000 square miles -- with some reports coming in some 850 miles away as far as Dallas.
Since Wednesday, researchers said several small aftershocks have been recorded across the region. CERI said the aftershocks may continue for hours, days and even weeks after the quake -- but often are too small to be accurately located by seismic networks.
CERI said it has coordinated with the Tennessee Valley Authority and the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency to deploy an aftershock monitoring team.
The team has set up seismograph stations in Meigs County near the epicenter of the main quake to get a better read of the location of these aftershocks.
CERI said the team's research will better help seismologists understand the orientation of the fault and figure out its capacity for producing damaging quakes in the future.
Researches say the East Tennessee Seismic Zone is the second-most active source of earthquakes east of the Rocky Mountains -- producing roughly 80 small quakes each year.
CERI said the last significant earthquake to strike in the region was in 2003 when a 4.6 magnitude quake struck Ft. Payne, Ala. and caused structural damage in Southeast TN.