QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.1md

Earthquake near Augusta, GA

No earthquake was likely felt in Augusta in the 24 hours to 11:09 am EST (16:09 UTC). The last one was M 2.7, 41 km (25 mi) NNW, at 11:22 am EDT on 5 July 2025, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 67 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Augusta

This page: a magnitude 2.1 earthquake was recorded 7 km (4 mi) south-southwest of Augusta, GA, at 10:43 pm EDT on 21 June 2017 (02:43 UTC), 11 km deep. 3 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 7 km SSW of Augusta, Georgia

8 km (5 mi) NE of Augusta-Richmond County, GA

10:43 pm EDT, Jun 21, 2017 · · 11 km deep · released about 40 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Richmond County 8 kmColumbia County 26 kmAiken County 38 kmBurke County 40 kmEdgefield County 41 kmMcDuffie County 44 kmJefferson County 55 kmBarnwell County 57 kmLincoln County 58 km
Distance rings around the epicentre, with the nearest towns at their true direction and later quakes as coloured dots. Not a shaking map — see the USGS ShakeMap for that.
When
10:43 pm EDT on 21 June 2017 ()
Where
7 km (4 mi) south-southwest of Augusta, GA · earthquakes near Augusta
Magnitude
M 2.1 (md)
Depth
11 km below the surface
Felt
3 reports · strongest reported intensity I
Nearest
Richmond County, 8 km SW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 3429 days ago

This was a minor earthquake. Quakes this small are rarely felt and do not cause damage.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 25 km (16 mi) from the epicentre. In Augusta, 7 km away, the estimate is intensity II (weak). Estimated from magnitude, depth and distance with the intensity equation USGS Did You Feel It? uses; felt reports, where there are any, are the measurement.

Earthquakes near other towns within 30 km: North Augusta, Martinez, Hephzibah, Belvedere, Clearwater, Evans.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 40 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.1 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 380,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 270,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 24× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.1 about 40 lb of TNT

Energy from the Gutenberg–Richter relation (log10E = 1.5M + 4.8), rounded to two figures; bar length is magnitude, which is already a logarithm of energy. Magnitudes of past earthquakes from the USGS catalogue.

For this area

No earthquake of M4 or more has been recorded within 50 km since our catalogue begins in 2016.

Before 2016, the USGS record since 1900 lists no earthquake of M5 or more within 50 km.

Since 2016: the QuakeIndex catalogue (US, M1.5+), built from the USGS FDSN event service. Before 2016: USGS ComCat, M5+ from 1900. Distances are between epicentres. This is the record, not a forecast.

Where

Epicentre 33.4167, -82.0153. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Richmond County, GA 8 km (5 mi) SW earthquakes near Richmond County
Columbia County, GA 26 km (16 mi) NW earthquakes near Columbia County
Aiken County, SC 38 km (24 mi) ENE earthquakes near Aiken County
Burke County, GA 40 km (25 mi) S earthquakes near Burke County
Edgefield County, SC 41 km (25 mi) N earthquakes near Edgefield County
McDuffie County, GA 44 km (27 mi) W earthquakes near McDuffie County

Places and coordinates from the US Census Bureau Gazetteer (2024). Distances are from the epicentre.

Aftershocks so far

13 earthquakes have been recorded within 50 km since this one.

  1. 1.9 14 km NW of Grovetown, Georgia
  2. 2.7 11 km ENE of Parksville, South Carolina
  3. 1.7 11 km N of Harlem, Georgia
  4. 1.9 12 km N of Harlem, Georgia
  5. 1.8 14 km WNW of Evans, Georgia
  6. 1.9 14 km NW of Grovetown, Georgia
  7. 2.0 14 km NW of Grovetown, Georgia
  8. 2.1 8 km NE of Parksville, South Carolina
  9. 1.9 11 km SE of Jackson, South Carolina
  10. 2.1 15 km NW of Grovetown, Georgia
  11. 2.2 15 km N of Harlem, Georgia
  12. 1.8 16 km NNE of Thomson, Georgia
  13. 2.4 10 km NE of Parksville, South Carolina

Counted from the QuakeIndex database, which ingests the USGS feed every 30 seconds · as of . QuakeIndex does not forecast aftershocks. When USGS issues an operational aftershock forecast it appears on the USGS event page.

On USGS

QuakeIndex does not issue warnings. For earthquake early warning see ShakeAlert.