QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.1md

Earthquake near Wildwood Lake, TN

No earthquake was likely felt in Wildwood Lake in the 24 hours to 5:35 am EST (10:35 UTC). The last one was M 2.3, 19 km (12 mi) NE, at 2:03 am EDT on 3 August 2025, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 6 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Wildwood Lake

This page: a magnitude 2.1 earthquake was recorded 11 km (7 mi) southeast of Wildwood Lake, TN, at 6:05 pm EDT on 3 May 2021 (22:05 UTC), 14 km deep.

USGS: 10 km SE of Wildwood Lake, Tennessee

45 km (28 mi) E of Chattanooga, TN · 19 km (12 mi) SSE of Cleveland, TN

6:05 pm EDT, May 3, 2021 · · 14 km deep · released about 51 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Bradley County 16 kmPolk County 22 kmMurray County 26 kmWhitfield County 32 kmCatoosa County 37 kmHamilton County 43 kmFannin County 44 kmMcMinn County 46 kmGilmer County 47 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
6:05 pm EDT on 3 May 2021 ()
Where
11 km (7 mi) southeast of Wildwood Lake, TN · earthquakes near Wildwood Lake
Magnitude
M 2.1 (md)
Depth
14 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Bradley County, 16 km NNW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2017 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 27 km (17 mi) from the epicentre. In Wildwood Lake, 11 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: South Cleveland, East Cleveland, Cleveland, Benton, Apison, Varnell.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 51 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 5.8 300,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 210,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 19× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.1 about 51 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 35.0315, -84.7613. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Bradley County, TN 16 km (10 mi) NNW earthquakes near Bradley County
Polk County, TN 22 km (14 mi) ENE earthquakes near Polk County
Murray County, GA 26 km (16 mi) S earthquakes near Murray County
Whitfield County, GA 32 km (20 mi) SW earthquakes near Whitfield County
Catoosa County, GA 37 km (23 mi) WSW earthquakes near Catoosa County
Hamilton County, TN 43 km (27 mi) WNW earthquakes near Hamilton County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.0 3 km ESE of Etowah, Tennessee
  2. 2.1 11 km SW of Dalton, Georgia
  3. 1.9 11 km SW of Tellico Plains, Tennessee
  4. 2.0 15 km ESE of Wildwood Lake, Tennessee
  5. 1.9 1 km E of Collegedale, Tennessee
  6. 2.2 8 km SSW of Dalton, Georgia
  7. 1.7 14 km E of Benton, Tennessee
  8. 2.2 3 km ENE of East Brainerd, Tennessee
  9. 2.4 7 km E of Etowah, Tennessee
  10. 1.9 Alabama
  11. 2.4 9 km WNW of Hopewell, Tennessee
  12. 1.9 6 km NW of Eton, Georgia
  13. 2.1 13 km E of Benton, Tennessee
  14. 1.7 4 km W of Etowah, Tennessee
  15. 2.4 1 km SE of Etowah, 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.