The state sits on the New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ) in the west and the East Tennessee Seismic Zone (ETSZ) in the east. The most well-known of the two is the New Madrid Seismic Zone, which ...
While there might not be a direct correlation, it's clear that earthquakes of similar magnitude could easily strike here, as Knoxville is located within the East Tennessee Seismic Zone.