QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.4md

Earthquake near Castlewood, VA

No earthquake was likely felt in Castlewood in the 24 hours to 9:09 am EST (14:09 UTC). The last one was M 4.1, 214 km (133 mi) SW, at 9:04 am EDT on 10 May 2025, estimated intensity III (weak) in town; 45,935 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Castlewood

This page: a magnitude 2.4 earthquake was recorded 12 km (8 mi) north of Castlewood, VA, at 5:23 am EDT on 13 June 2021 (09:23 UTC), 20 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 3 km NE of Dante, Virginia

59 km (36 mi) NNE of Kingsport, TN

5:23 am EDT, Jun 13, 2021 · · 20 km deep · released about 140 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Dickenson County 17 kmRussell County 18 kmWise County 31 kmNorton city 32 kmBuchanan County 36 kmWashington County 40 kmBristol city 44 kmScott County 44 kmLetcher County 54 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
5:23 am EDT on 13 June 2021 ()
Where
12 km (8 mi) north of Castlewood, VA · earthquakes near Castlewood
Magnitude
M 2.4 (md)
Depth
20 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity I
Nearest
Dickenson County, 17 km NNW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1973 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 39 km (24 mi) from the epicentre. In Castlewood, 12 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: Coeburn, Lebanon, Clintwood, Honaker, Wise.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 140 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.4 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 110,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 78,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 6.9× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.4 about 140 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 37.0005, -82.2748. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Dickenson County, VA 17 km (10 mi) NNW earthquakes near Dickenson County
Russell County, VA 18 km (11 mi) ESE earthquakes near Russell County
Wise County, VA 31 km (19 mi) W earthquakes near Wise County
Norton city, VA 32 km (20 mi) WSW earthquakes near Norton city
Buchanan County, VA 36 km (23 mi) NE earthquakes near Buchanan County
Washington County, VA 40 km (25 mi) SE earthquakes near Washington County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.1 5 km NE of Clinchport, Virginia
  2. 2.6 9 km SSW of Abingdon, 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.