QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.7md

Earthquake near Bryson City, NC

No earthquake was likely felt in Bryson City in the 24 hours to 8:46 pm EST (01:46 UTC). The last one was M 2.1, 20 km (13 mi) SE, at 11:05 pm EDT on 4 July 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Bryson City

This page: a magnitude 1.7 earthquake was recorded 16 km (10 mi) southwest of Bryson City, NC, at 5:10 am EDT on 17 September 2019 (09:10 UTC), 25 km deep. 2 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 15 km SW of Bryson City, North Carolina

76 km (47 mi) SSE of Knoxville, TN

5:10 am EDT, Sep 17, 2019 · · 25 km deep · released about 11 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Bryson City Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Graham County 22 kmMacon County 27 kmSwain County 27 kmClay County 36 kmJackson County 43 kmBlount County 48 kmCherokee County 49 kmSevier County 49 kmTowns County 51 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
5:10 am EDT on 17 September 2019 ()
Where
16 km (10 mi) southwest of Bryson City, NC · earthquakes near Bryson City
North Carolina today
every earthquake in North Carolina in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 1.7 (md)
Depth
25 km below the surface
Felt
2 reports · strongest reported intensity IV
Nearest
Graham County, 22 km W
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2612 days ago

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

At this magnitude and depth it was probably too small to be felt, even directly above it. In Bryson City, 16 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: Andrews, Franklin, Cherokee.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 11 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.7 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 1,400,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 1,000,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 89× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.7 about 11 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 35.3500, -83.5927. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Graham County, NC 22 km (13 mi) W earthquakes near Graham County
Macon County, NC 27 km (17 mi) SE earthquakes near Macon County
Swain County, NC 27 km (17 mi) NNE earthquakes near Swain County
Clay County, NC 36 km (22 mi) SSW earthquakes near Clay County
Jackson County, NC 43 km (27 mi) E earthquakes near Jackson County
Blount County, TN 48 km (30 mi) NW earthquakes near Blount County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.1 16 km SE of Vonore, Tennessee
  2. 1.8 9 km SW of Dillsboro, North Carolina
  3. 1.6 16 km SE of Vonore, Tennessee
  4. 2.0 6 km SSW of Dillsboro, North Carolina
  5. 2.2 11 km SE of Townsend, Tennessee
  6. 2.1 16 km WNW of Bryson City, North Carolina
  7. 2.0 17 km W of Bryson City, North Carolina
  8. 1.7 17 km WNW of Bryson City, North Carolina
  9. 2.0 17 km WNW of Bryson City, North Carolina
  10. 1.7 17 km WNW of Bryson City, North Carolina
  11. 2.1 17 km WNW of Bryson City, North Carolina
  12. 2.0 17 km WNW of Bryson City, North Carolina
  13. 2.0 13 km SE of Greenback, Tennessee
  14. 2.5 7 km WSW of Bryson City, North Carolina
  15. 2.4 10 km SW of Gatlinburg, 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.