QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.9md

Earthquake near Dalton, GA

USGS: 13 km SW of Dalton, Georgia

47 km (29 mi) SSE of Chattanooga, TN · 117 km (73 mi) NNW of Atlanta, GA

10:52 pm EDT, Aug 8, 2018 · · 12 km deep · released about 18 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Dalton Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Whitfield County 17 kmWalker County 23 kmGordon County 26 kmCatoosa County 26 kmMurray County 33 kmChattooga County 34 kmDade County 45 kmFloyd County 48 kmBartow 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
10:52 pm EDT on 8 August 2018 ()
Where
14 km (9 mi) SW of Dalton, GA · earthquakes near Dalton
Magnitude
M 1.9 (md)
Depth
12 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Whitfield County, 17 km NNE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2977 days ago

A magnitude 1.9 earthquake was recorded 14 km (9 mi) SW of Dalton, GA, at 10:52 pm EDT on 8 August 2018 (02:52 UTC). This was a minor earthquake. Quakes this small are rarely felt and do not cause damage.

Earthquakes near other towns within 30 km: LaFayette, Calhoun, Trion, Varnell, Ringgold, Chatsworth.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 18 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.9 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 840,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 600,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 53× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.9 about 18 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 34.6748, -85.0678. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Whitfield County, GA 17 km (10 mi) NNE earthquakes near Whitfield County
Walker County, GA 23 km (14 mi) WNW earthquakes near Walker County
Gordon County, GA 26 km (16 mi) SE earthquakes near Gordon County
Catoosa County, GA 26 km (16 mi) NNW earthquakes near Catoosa County
Murray County, GA 33 km (21 mi) ENE earthquakes near Murray County
Chattooga County, GA 34 km (21 mi) SW earthquakes near Chattooga County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.2 4 km WSW of Tunnel Hill, Georgia
  2. 2.0 10 km WNW of Resaca, Georgia
  3. 2.3 10 km WNW of Resaca, Georgia
  4. 2.1 11 km SW of Dalton, Georgia
  5. 1.9 1 km E of Collegedale, Tennessee
  6. 2.2 8 km SSW of Dalton, Georgia
  7. 2.2 3 km ENE of East Brainerd, Tennessee
  8. 1.9 Alabama
  9. 1.9 6 km NW of Eton, Georgia
  10. 2.3 8 km W of Tunnel Hill, Georgia
  11. 2.0 2 km SSE of Varnell, Georgia
  12. 2.0 2 km WNW of Menlo, Georgia
  13. 2.4 2 km WNW of Menlo, Georgia
  14. 1.5 12 km E of Mentone, Alabama
  15. 2.0 8 km N of Trion, Georgia

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.