QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.3md

Earthquake near Dandridge, TN

No earthquake was likely felt in Dandridge in the 24 hours to 4:52 pm EST (21:52 UTC). The last one was M 2.3, 24 km (15 mi) SSW, at 12:26 pm EDT on 28 April 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Dandridge

This page: a magnitude 2.3 earthquake was recorded 7 km (4 mi) north of Dandridge, TN, at 2:04 am EDT on 2 October 2021 (06:04 UTC), 17 km deep.

USGS: 7 km N of Dandridge, Tennessee

50 km (31 mi) ENE of Knoxville, TN

2:04 am EDT, Oct 2, 2021 · · 17 km deep · released about 91 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Jefferson County 5 kmHamblen County 20 kmGrainger County 24 kmCocke County 31 kmSevier County 34 kmUnion County 45 kmKnox County 49 kmGreene County 51 kmHancock 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
2:04 am EDT on 2 October 2021 ()
Where
7 km (4 mi) north of Dandridge, TN · earthquakes near Dandridge
Magnitude
M 2.3 (md)
Depth
17 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Jefferson County, 5 km SW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1866 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 34 km (21 mi) from the epicentre. In Dandridge, 7 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: Sevierville 27 km, intensity II · Mascot 31 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 91 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.3 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 170,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 120,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 10× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.3 about 91 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 36.0778, -83.4037. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Jefferson County, TN 5 km (3 mi) SW earthquakes near Jefferson County
Hamblen County, TN 20 km (12 mi) NE earthquakes near Hamblen County
Grainger County, TN 24 km (15 mi) NNW earthquakes near Grainger County
Cocke County, TN 31 km (19 mi) SE earthquakes near Cocke County
Sevier County, TN 34 km (21 mi) SSW earthquakes near Sevier County
Union County, TN 45 km (28 mi) WNW earthquakes near Union County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.1 7 km WNW of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
  2. 2.1 6 km NNE of Rockford, Tennessee
  3. 2.3 1 km W of Rutledge, Tennessee
  4. 2.0 4 km WNW of Mascot, Tennessee
  5. 1.9 3 km NW of Mascot, Tennessee
  6. 2.3 4 km N of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
  7. 2.1 2 km S of Blaine, Tennessee
  8. 2.1 7 km SE of Knoxville, Tennessee
  9. 1.9 5 km NNW of Mascot, Tennessee
  10. 1.9 9 km WSW of Mascot, Tennessee
  11. 1.8 0 km ESE of Knoxville, Tennessee
  12. 2.2 10 km ENE of Knoxville, Tennessee
  13. 2.5 6 km SE of Seymour, Tennessee
  14. 2.3 11 km ESE of Mascot, Tennessee
  15. 2.0 8 km ENE of Knoxville, 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.