QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.1md

Earthquake near Alcoa, TN

No earthquake was likely felt in Alcoa in the 24 hours to 5:07 am EST (10:07 UTC). The last one was M 2.1, 12 km (8 mi) NNE, at 2:55 pm EST on 5 November 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Alcoa

This page: a magnitude 2.1 earthquake was recorded 3 km (2 mi) west of Alcoa, TN, at 11:14 am EDT on 26 July 2019 (15:14 UTC), 9.4 km deep. 6 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 2 km W of Alcoa, Tennessee

21 km (13 mi) SSW of Knoxville, TN

11:14 am EDT, Jul 26, 2019 · · 9.4 km deep · released about 51 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Blount County 13 kmKnox County 24 kmLoudon County 29 kmAnderson County 41 kmSevier County 43 kmMonroe County 44 kmRoane County 48 kmGraham County 51 kmSwain County 54 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
11:14 am EDT on 26 July 2019 ()
Where
3 km (2 mi) west of Alcoa, TN · earthquakes near Alcoa
Magnitude
M 2.1 (md)
Depth
9.4 km below the surface
Felt
6 reports · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Blount County, 13 km SSE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2588 days ago

This was a minor earthquake. Quakes this small are rarely felt and do not cause damage.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 29 km (18 mi) from the epicentre. In Alcoa, 3 km away, the estimate is intensity II (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: Maryville 4 km, intensity II · Farragut 17 km, intensity II · Knoxville 21 km, intensity II · Seymour 28 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 51 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.1 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 300,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 210,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 19× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.1 about 51 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 35.7863, -84.0022. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Blount County, TN 13 km (8 mi) SSE earthquakes near Blount County
Knox County, TN 24 km (15 mi) NNE earthquakes near Knox County
Loudon County, TN 29 km (18 mi) WSW earthquakes near Loudon County
Anderson County, TN 41 km (25 mi) NNW earthquakes near Anderson County
Sevier County, TN 43 km (27 mi) E earthquakes near Sevier County
Monroe County, TN 44 km (27 mi) SSW earthquakes near Monroe County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.0 3 km SSW of Garland, Tennessee
  2. 1.6 7 km WSW of Tellico Village, Tennessee
  3. 2.3 5 km NE of Greenback, Tennessee
  4. 2.3 0 km SW of Knoxville, Tennessee
  5. 1.6 3 km ENE of Philadelphia, Tennessee
  6. 2.5 11 km SSW of Maryville, Tennessee
  7. 2.3 7 km W of New Market, Tennessee
  8. 2.5 7 km SE of Maryville, Tennessee
  9. 2.0 3 km SSW of Loudon, Tennessee
  10. 2.1 6 km S of Sweetwater, Tennessee
  11. 2.0 Kentucky-Tennessee border region
  12. 2.6 7 km ENE of Seymour, Tennessee
  13. 2.4 8 km ENE of Seymour, Tennessee
  14. 1.9 Tennessee
  15. 1.5 4 km WSW 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.