QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.0md

Earthquake near Mosheim, TN

No earthquake was likely felt in Mosheim in the 24 hours to 6:48 pm EST (23:48 UTC). The last one was M 2.3, 14 km (9 mi) E, at 4:37 am EDT on 26 September 2025, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 90 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Mosheim

This page: a magnitude 2.0 earthquake was recorded 4 km (2 mi) east-northeast of Mosheim, TN, at 10:45 pm EDT on 15 September 2019 (02:45 UTC), 4.9 km deep. 2 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 3 km ENE of Mosheim, Tennessee

96 km (60 mi) ENE of Knoxville, TN · 49 km (30 mi) SW of Kingsport, TN

10:45 pm EDT, Sep 15, 2019 · · 4.9 km deep · released about 30 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Greene County 7 kmHawkins County 27 kmHamblen County 31 kmCocke County 37 kmWashington County 40 kmMadison County 42 kmHancock County 45 kmUnicoi County 47 kmJefferson County 50 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
10:45 pm EDT on 15 September 2019 ()
Where
4 km (2 mi) east-northeast of Mosheim, TN · earthquakes near Mosheim
Magnitude
M 2.0 (md)
Depth
4.9 km below the surface
Felt
2 reports · strongest reported intensity I
Nearest
Greene County, 7 km ESE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2613 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 24 km (15 mi) from the epicentre. In Mosheim, 4 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: Greeneville, Tusculum, Chuckey, Rogersville.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 30 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.0 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 500,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 350,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 32× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.0 about 30 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 36.2052, -82.9212. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Greene County, TN 7 km (4 mi) ESE earthquakes near Greene County
Hawkins County, TN 27 km (17 mi) N earthquakes near Hawkins County
Hamblen County, TN 31 km (19 mi) W earthquakes near Hamblen County
Cocke County, TN 37 km (23 mi) SSW earthquakes near Cocke County
Washington County, TN 40 km (25 mi) ENE earthquakes near Washington County
Madison County, NC 42 km (26 mi) SSE earthquakes near Madison County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.3 2 km ENE of Greeneville, Tennessee
  2. 2.4 5 km NNE of Bean Station, Tennessee
  3. 2.3 8 km NNW of Greeneville, Tennessee
  4. 2.1 9 km ENE of Rutledge, Tennessee
  5. 2.1 7 km ENE of Rutledge, Tennessee
  6. 1.9 1 km SW of Fall Branch, Tennessee
  7. 2.4 Kentucky-Tennessee border region
  8. 2.5 6 km E of Sneedville, Tennessee
  9. 2.0 9 km NNE of Mosheim, Tennessee
  10. 2.0 10 km NE of Mooresburg, Tennessee
  11. 2.4 7 km N of Dandridge, Tennessee
  12. 2.3 7 km N of Dandridge, Tennessee
  13. 2.2 6 km N of Dandridge, Tennessee
  14. 1.6 7 km SSW of Banner Hill, Tennessee
  15. 2.4 9 km SSW of Banner Hill, Tennessee

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.