QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.5md

Virginia-North Carolina border region

Yes. A magnitude 1.5 earthquake was recorded in the Virginia-North Carolina border region, at 8:50 pm EST on 26 February 2021 (01:50 UTC), less than 1 km deep. 6 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

· 0.0 km deep · released about 5.9 lb of TNT

Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Alleghany County 6 kmGrayson County 24 kmGalax city 27 kmWilkes County 29 kmSurry County 36 kmAshe County 37 kmCarroll County 44 kmWythe County 49 kmYadkin 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
Magnitude
M 1.5 (md)
Depth
0.0 km below the surface
Felt
6 reports · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
Alleghany County, 6 km NW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2008 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. 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: Sparta, Thurmond, Hays, Mulberry, Galax, Fairplains.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 5.9 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.5 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 2,500,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 1,800,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 160× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.5 about 5.9 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

The largest earthquake within 50 km in our catalogue was M 5.1 on 2020-08-09 — about 230,000 times the energy of this one.

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 36.4603, -81.0810. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Alleghany County, NC 6 km (3 mi) NW earthquakes near Alleghany County
Grayson County, VA 24 km (15 mi) NNW earthquakes near Grayson County
Galax city, VA 27 km (17 mi) NNE earthquakes near Galax city
Wilkes County, NC 29 km (18 mi) SSW earthquakes near Wilkes County
Surry County, NC 36 km (22 mi) E earthquakes near Surry County
Ashe County, NC 37 km (23 mi) W earthquakes near Ashe County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.9 3 km WNW of Thurmond, North Carolina
  2. 2.2 9 km ESE of Independence, Virginia
  3. 2.2 7 km SSE of Sparta, North Carolina
  4. 2.1 4 km WSW of Lowgap, North Carolina
  5. 2.2 16 km E of Jefferson, North Carolina
  6. 2.0 8 km S of Sparta, North Carolina
  7. 2.2 7 km SSE of Sparta, North Carolina
  8. 2.2 6 km SSE of Sparta, North Carolina
  9. 2.1 1 km ESE of Sparta, North Carolina
  10. 2.3 5 km SE of Sparta, North Carolina
  11. 2.3 2 km E of Sparta, North Carolina
  12. 1.5 8 km W of Lowgap, North Carolina
  13. 2.3 8 km W of Lowgap, North Carolina
  14. 2.6 Virginia-North Carolina border region
  15. 2.7 5 km S of Hillsville, Virginia

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.