QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.6md

Earthquake near Decatur, TN

No earthquake was likely felt in Decatur in the 24 hours to 5:33 am EST (10:33 UTC). The last one was M 1.9, 18 km (11 mi) SE, at 6:30 am EDT on 31 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Decatur

This page: a magnitude 2.6 earthquake was recorded 12 km (7 mi) north-northeast of Decatur, TN, at 7:51 am EDT on 10 June 2018 (11:51 UTC), 4.6 km deep. 8 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 11 km NNE of Decatur, Tennessee

76 km (48 mi) NE of Chattanooga, TN · 49 km (31 mi) NNE of Cleveland, TN

7:51 am EDT, Jun 10, 2018 · · 4.6 km deep · released about 280 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Meigs County 13 kmRhea County 20 kmMcMinn County 22 kmRoane County 32 kmLoudon County 40 kmBledsoe County 43 kmCumberland County 45 kmMonroe County 47 kmBradley 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
7:51 am EDT on 10 June 2018 ()
Where
12 km (7 mi) north-northeast of Decatur, TN · earthquakes near Decatur
Magnitude
M 2.6 (md)
Depth
4.6 km below the surface
Felt
8 reports · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Meigs County, 13 km SW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2891 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 53 km (33 mi) from the epicentre. In Decatur, 12 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: Decatur 12 km, intensity III · Athens 22 km, intensity III. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 280 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.6 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 53,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 38,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 3.3× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.6 about 280 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 35.6063, -84.7268. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Meigs County, TN 13 km (8 mi) SW earthquakes near Meigs County
Rhea County, TN 20 km (13 mi) W earthquakes near Rhea County
McMinn County, TN 22 km (14 mi) SSE earthquakes near McMinn County
Roane County, TN 32 km (20 mi) NE earthquakes near Roane County
Loudon County, TN 40 km (25 mi) ENE earthquakes near Loudon County
Bledsoe County, TN 43 km (27 mi) W earthquakes near Bledsoe County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.7 5 km NW of Tellico Plains, Tennessee
  2. 1.9 6 km SW of Tellico Village, Tennessee
  3. 2.0 10 km WSW of Tellico Plains, Tennessee
  4. 2.0 12 km NNE of Decatur, Tennessee
  5. 1.7 4 km WNW of Madisonville, Tennessee
  6. 1.7 11 km ESE of Madisonville, Tennessee
  7. 2.3 10 km S of Etowah, Tennessee
  8. 2.4 2 km WSW of Sweetwater, Tennessee
  9. 2.0 2 km WNW of Greenback, Tennessee
  10. 1.8 3 km ENE of Madisonville, Tennessee
  11. 2.2 5 km S of Sweetwater, Tennessee
  12. 2.0 7 km SSE of Rockwood, Tennessee
  13. 2.6 3 km ENE of Philadelphia, Tennessee
  14. 2.1 12 km NNE of Decatur, Tennessee
  15. 2.1 3 km NNE of Athens, 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.