QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.1md

Earthquake near Maynardville, TN

No earthquake was likely felt in Maynardville in the 24 hours to 9:19 am EST (14:19 UTC). The last one was M 2.3, 24 km (15 mi) E, at 2:41 am EDT on 9 July 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 1 felt report to USGS. Every earthquake near Maynardville

This page: a magnitude 2.1 earthquake was recorded 3 km (2 mi) north-northeast of Maynardville, TN, at 9:53 pm EST on 21 January 2021 (02:53 UTC), 5.1 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 2 km NNE of Maynardville, Tennessee

37 km (23 mi) NNE of Knoxville, TN

9:53 pm EST, Jan 21, 2021 · · 5.1 km deep · released about 46 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Maynardville Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Union County 4 kmGrainger County 25 kmClaiborne County 28 kmKnox County 34 kmCampbell County 36 kmJefferson County 40 kmAnderson County 40 kmHamblen County 47 kmBell County 52 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
9:53 pm EST on 21 January 2021 ()
Where
3 km (2 mi) north-northeast of Maynardville, TN · earthquakes near Maynardville
Magnitude
M 2.1 (md)
Depth
5.1 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity I
Nearest
Union County, 4 km WNW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2119 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 29 km (18 mi) from the epicentre. In Maynardville, 3 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.

Likely felt in: Mascot 24 km, intensity II · Fincastle 28 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 46 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 5.8 330,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 230,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 21× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.1 about 46 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 36.2738, -83.7898. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Union County, TN 4 km (3 mi) WNW earthquakes near Union County
Grainger County, TN 25 km (16 mi) E earthquakes near Grainger County
Claiborne County, TN 28 km (17 mi) NNE earthquakes near Claiborne County
Knox County, TN 34 km (21 mi) SSW earthquakes near Knox County
Campbell County, TN 36 km (22 mi) WNW earthquakes near Campbell County
Jefferson County, TN 40 km (25 mi) SE earthquakes near Jefferson County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.6 11 km SW of Middlesboro, Kentucky
  2. 1.8 0 km ESE of Knoxville, Tennessee
  3. 2.2 10 km ENE of Knoxville, Tennessee
  4. 2.5 6 km SE of Seymour, Tennessee
  5. 2.3 11 km ESE of Mascot, Tennessee
  6. 2.0 8 km ENE of Knoxville, Tennessee
  7. 2.3 10 km S of Jellico, Tennessee
  8. 2.0 8 km W of Seymour, Tennessee
  9. 2.3 16 km N of Maynardville, Tennessee
  10. 2.1 8 km ENE of Seymour, Tennessee
  11. 2.4 5 km NNE of Bean Station, Tennessee
  12. 2.4 5 km ENE of Harrogate, Tennessee
  13. 2.3 2 km ENE of Rutledge, Tennessee
  14. 2.1 9 km ENE of Rutledge, Tennessee
  15. 2.1 4 km WNW of Dandridge, 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.