QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.1md

Earthquake near Mascot, TN

No earthquake was likely felt in Mascot in the 24 hours to 9:47 am EST (14:47 UTC). The last one was M 2.0, 5 km (3 mi) WNW, at 5:49 am EDT on 6 July 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Mascot

This page: a magnitude 2.1 earthquake was recorded 6 km (4 mi) north-northwest of Mascot, TN, at 7:57 pm EDT on 31 July 2021 (23:57 UTC), 16 km deep.

USGS: 6 km NNW of Mascot, Tennessee

22 km (14 mi) NE of Knoxville, TN

7:57 pm EDT, Jul 31, 2021 · · 16 km deep · released about 46 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Union County 20 kmKnox County 20 kmGrainger County 30 kmJefferson County 31 kmAnderson County 38 kmSevier County 43 kmClaiborne County 44 kmHamblen County 47 kmCampbell 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
7:57 pm EDT on 31 July 2021 ()
Where
6 km (4 mi) north-northwest of Mascot, TN · earthquakes near Mascot
Magnitude
M 2.1 (md)
Depth
16 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Union County, 20 km NNW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1928 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 24 km (15 mi) from the epicentre. In Mascot, 6 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 6 km, intensity II · Knoxville 22 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 36.1135, -83.7722. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Union County, TN 20 km (12 mi) NNW earthquakes near Union County
Knox County, TN 20 km (12 mi) SW earthquakes near Knox County
Grainger County, TN 30 km (19 mi) NE earthquakes near Grainger County
Jefferson County, TN 31 km (19 mi) ESE earthquakes near Jefferson County
Anderson County, TN 38 km (24 mi) W earthquakes near Anderson County
Sevier County, TN 43 km (26 mi) SSE earthquakes near Sevier County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.1 7 km SW of Maryville, Tennessee
  2. 2.1 1 km SW of Sevierville, Tennessee
  3. 2.0 0 km WSW of Alcoa, Tennessee
  4. 2.1 7 km ENE of Rutledge, Tennessee
  5. 2.5 4 km SSE of Sevierville, Tennessee
  6. 1.9 8 km WNW of Rutledge, Tennessee
  7. 1.6 6 km E of Oak Ridge, Tennessee
  8. 2.4 2 km ESE of Rutledge, Tennessee
  9. 2.4 7 km ENE of Blaine, Tennessee
  10. 1.8 3 km W of Maryville, Tennessee
  11. 1.8 4 km S of New Tazewell, Tennessee
  12. 1.9 1 km NE of Rutledge, Tennessee
  13. 1.9 1 km WSW of Plainview, Tennessee
  14. 2.2 9 km W of Clinton, Tennessee
  15. 1.6 1 km SSW of Eagleton Village, 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.