QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.7md

Earthquake near Lenoir City, TN

No earthquake was likely felt in Lenoir City in the 24 hours to 3:30 am EST (08:30 UTC). The last one was M 2.4, 11 km (7 mi) WNW, at 1:54 am EDT on 30 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 3 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Lenoir City

This page: a magnitude 2.7 earthquake was recorded 8 km (5 mi) north-northwest of Lenoir City, TN, at 4:08 pm EDT on 24 May 2018 (20:08 UTC), 16 km deep. 7 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 8 km NNW of Lenoir City, Tennessee

33 km (21 mi) WSW of Knoxville, TN

4:08 pm EDT, May 24, 2018 · · 16 km deep · released about 380 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Loudon County 14 kmRoane County 21 kmAnderson County 30 kmKnox County 35 kmBlount County 39 kmMorgan County 44 kmMonroe County 46 kmMcMinn County 57 kmCampbell County 61 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
4:08 pm EDT on 24 May 2018 ()
Where
8 km (5 mi) north-northwest of Lenoir City, TN · earthquakes near Lenoir City
Magnitude
M 2.7 (md)
Depth
16 km below the surface
Felt
7 reports · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Loudon County, 14 km S
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 3003 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 56 km (35 mi) from the epicentre. In Lenoir City, 8 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: Farragut 13 km, intensity III · Maryville 32 km, intensity II · Knoxville 35 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 380 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 40,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 29,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 2.5× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.7 about 380 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 35.8633, -84.2945. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Loudon County, TN 14 km (9 mi) S earthquakes near Loudon County
Roane County, TN 21 km (13 mi) W earthquakes near Roane County
Anderson County, TN 30 km (18 mi) NNE earthquakes near Anderson County
Knox County, TN 35 km (22 mi) ENE earthquakes near Knox County
Blount County, TN 39 km (24 mi) ESE earthquakes near Blount County
Morgan County, TN 44 km (27 mi) NW earthquakes near Morgan County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.6 3 km ENE of Philadelphia, Tennessee
  2. 2.4 7 km SW of Mascot, Tennessee
  3. 2.5 3 km WSW of Petros, Tennessee
  4. 2.6 7 km WNW of Farragut, Tennessee
  5. 2.1 12 km NNE of Decatur, Tennessee
  6. 1.9 4 km SSW of Maryville, Tennessee
  7. 2.1 11 km NW of Huntsville, Tennessee
  8. 1.8 1 km WNW of Eagleton Village, Tennessee
  9. 2.0 3 km SSW of Maryville, Tennessee
  10. 2.1 3 km SSW of Maryville, Tennessee
  11. 2.0 0 km W of Maryville, Tennessee
  12. 2.4 2 km SSW of Maryville, Tennessee
  13. 2.3 0 km WSW of Maryville, Tennessee
  14. 1.7 2 km NE of Tellico Village, Tennessee
  15. 2.1 2 km ESE of Tellico Village, 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.