QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.4md

Earthquake near Gatlinburg, TN

No earthquake was likely felt in Gatlinburg in the 24 hours to 9:46 am EST (14:46 UTC). The last one was M 2.1, 16 km (10 mi) NW, at 7:03 pm EST on 8 November 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Gatlinburg

This page: a magnitude 2.4 earthquake was recorded 6 km (4 mi) northeast of Gatlinburg, TN, at 4:48 am EDT on 6 July 2022 (08:48 UTC), less than 1 km deep. 5 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 6 km W of Pittman Center, Tennessee

49 km (31 mi) ESE of Knoxville, TN

4:48 am EDT, Jul 6, 2022 · · 0.6 km deep · released about 100 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Sevier County 6 kmSwain County 21 kmJefferson County 32 kmCocke County 36 kmBlount County 42 kmHaywood County 49 kmKnox County 50 kmHamblen County 54 kmGraham County 56 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
4:48 am EDT on 6 July 2022 ()
Where
6 km (4 mi) northeast of Gatlinburg, TN · earthquakes near Gatlinburg
Magnitude
M 2.4 (md)
Depth
0.6 km below the surface
Felt
5 reports · strongest reported intensity IV
Nearest
Sevier County, 6 km WNW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1520 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 Gatlinburg, 6 km away, the estimate is intensity III (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 15 km, intensity II · Seymour 28 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 100 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 5.8 150,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 110,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 9.4× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.4 about 100 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 35.7587, -83.4665. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Sevier County, TN 6 km (4 mi) WNW earthquakes near Sevier County
Swain County, NC 21 km (13 mi) S earthquakes near Swain County
Jefferson County, TN 32 km (20 mi) N earthquakes near Jefferson County
Cocke County, TN 36 km (22 mi) ENE earthquakes near Cocke County
Blount County, TN 42 km (26 mi) W earthquakes near Blount County
Haywood County, NC 49 km (31 mi) ESE earthquakes near Haywood County

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

Aftershocks so far

51 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. 1.7 5 km SSW of Maryville, Tennessee
  4. 2.0 4 km WNW of Mascot, Tennessee
  5. 1.9 3 km NW of Mascot, Tennessee
  6. 1.7 4 km NE of Louisville, Tennessee
  7. 2.0 3 km WSW of Alcoa, Tennessee
  8. 2.2 3 km WSW of Alcoa, Tennessee
  9. 2.3 4 km N of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
  10. 1.8 8 km NNW of Bryson City, North Carolina
  11. 2.1 2 km S of Blaine, Tennessee
  12. 2.1 7 km SE of Knoxville, Tennessee
  13. 1.9 5 km NNW of Mascot, Tennessee
  14. 1.9 9 km WSW of Mascot, Tennessee
  15. 1.8 2 km WNW of Maryville, 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.