QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.7md

Earthquake near Sevierville, TN

No earthquake was likely felt in Sevierville in the 24 hours to 7:30 am EST (12:30 UTC). The last one was M 2.1, 9 km (6 mi) SW, at 7:03 pm EST on 8 November 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Sevierville

This page: a magnitude 2.7 earthquake was recorded 9 km (5 mi) north of Sevierville, TN, at 8:40 pm EDT on 3 August 2017 (00:40 UTC), 10 km deep. 101 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 8 km N of Sevierville, Tennessee

35 km (22 mi) E of Knoxville, TN

8:40 pm EDT, Aug 3, 2017 · · 10 km deep · released about 340 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Jefferson County 16 kmSevier County 18 kmKnox County 34 kmGrainger County 37 kmCocke County 40 kmHamblen County 40 kmSwain County 43 kmBlount County 43 kmUnion County 45 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
8:40 pm EDT on 3 August 2017 ()
Where
9 km (5 mi) north of Sevierville, TN · earthquakes near Sevierville
Magnitude
M 2.7 (md)
Depth
10 km below the surface
Felt
101 reports · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Jefferson County, 16 km NE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 3311 days ago

This was a small earthquake. Shaking like this is often felt indoors nearby and very rarely causes damage.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 55 km (34 mi) from the epicentre. In Sevierville, 9 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 9 km, intensity III · Seymour 16 km, intensity III · Mascot 21 km, intensity III · Knoxville 32 km, intensity II · Maryville 42 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 340 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.7 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 45,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 32,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 2.8× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.7 about 340 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 35.9450, -83.5612. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Jefferson County, TN 16 km (10 mi) NE earthquakes near Jefferson County
Sevier County, TN 18 km (11 mi) S earthquakes near Sevier County
Knox County, TN 34 km (21 mi) W earthquakes near Knox County
Grainger County, TN 37 km (23 mi) N earthquakes near Grainger County
Cocke County, TN 40 km (25 mi) E earthquakes near Cocke County
Hamblen County, TN 40 km (25 mi) NE earthquakes near Hamblen County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.5 11 km WNW of Rutledge, Tennessee
  2. 2.5 5 km ENE of Rutledge, Tennessee
  3. 2.0 7 km NE of Rockford, Tennessee
  4. 2.1 7 km NNW of New Market, Tennessee
  5. 1.8 6 km NW of Mascot, Tennessee
  6. 1.9 2 km S of Knoxville, Tennessee
  7. 2.2 4 km E of Maryville, Tennessee
  8. 2.2 5 km ENE of Wildwood, Tennessee
  9. 2.4 0 km SSW of Rockford, Tennessee
  10. 1.7 5 km WNW of Sevierville, Tennessee
  11. 2.2 5 km W of Sevierville, Tennessee
  12. 2.6 2 km SSE of Mascot, Tennessee
  13. 2.1 2 km W of Alcoa, Tennessee
  14. 2.3 1 km ENE of Maryville, Tennessee
  15. 2.4 7 km SW of Mascot, 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.