QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.6md

Earthquake near Trion, GA

No earthquake was likely felt in Trion in the 24 hours to 7:30 am EST (12:30 UTC). The last one was M 2.0, 15 km (9 mi) N, at 7:53 am EST on 9 November 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Trion

This page: a magnitude 2.6 earthquake was recorded 14 km (9 mi) northwest of Trion, GA, at 5:48 am EDT on 23 October 2018 (09:48 UTC), 9.7 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 13 km NW of Trion, Georgia

52 km (32 mi) SSW of Chattanooga, TN · 133 km (83 mi) NW of Atlanta, GA

5:48 am EDT, Oct 23, 2018 · · 9.7 km deep · released about 230 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Walker County 17 kmChattooga County 18 kmDade County 26 kmDeKalb County 39 kmCatoosa County 40 kmFloyd County 45 kmWhitfield County 46 kmGordon County 52 kmJackson County 53 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
5:48 am EDT on 23 October 2018 ()
Where
14 km (9 mi) northwest of Trion, GA · earthquakes near Trion
Magnitude
M 2.6 (md)
Depth
9.7 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
Walker County, 17 km NE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2862 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 50 km (31 mi) from the epicentre. In Trion, 14 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.

Earthquakes near other towns within 30 km: LaFayette, Summerville, Trenton.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 230 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 65,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 46,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 4.1× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.6 about 230 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 34.6240, -85.4253. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Walker County, GA 17 km (10 mi) NE earthquakes near Walker County
Chattooga County, GA 18 km (11 mi) SSE earthquakes near Chattooga County
Dade County, GA 26 km (16 mi) NNW earthquakes near Dade County
DeKalb County, AL 39 km (24 mi) WSW earthquakes near DeKalb County
Catoosa County, GA 40 km (25 mi) NE earthquakes near Catoosa County
Floyd County, GA 45 km (28 mi) SSE earthquakes near Floyd 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. 2.6 8 km N of Menlo, Georgia
  2. 2.3 6 km WSW of Linwood, Georgia
  3. 1.9 5 km E of LaFayette, Georgia
  4. 1.8 2 km SW of Chickamauga, Georgia
  5. 2.2 2 km S of Ringgold, Georgia
  6. 2.5 4 km N of Tunnel Hill, Georgia
  7. 2.1 10 km SE of Chickamauga, Georgia
  8. 2.2 4 km WSW of Tunnel Hill, Georgia
  9. 2.0 10 km WNW of Resaca, Georgia
  10. 2.3 10 km WNW of Resaca, Georgia
  11. 2.1 11 km SW of Dalton, Georgia
  12. 2.2 8 km SSW of Dalton, Georgia
  13. 2.1 6 km SW of Bridgeport, Alabama
  14. 2.3 4 km NE of Stevenson, Alabama
  15. 2.5 7 km ENE of Stevenson, Alabama

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.