QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 3.0md

Earthquake near New Tazewell, TN

No earthquake was likely felt in New Tazewell in the 24 hours to 3:32 am EST (08:32 UTC). The last one was M 2.3, 19 km (12 mi) SSE, at 2:41 am EDT on 9 July 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 1 felt report to USGS. Every earthquake near New Tazewell

This page: a magnitude 3.0 earthquake was recorded 7 km (4 mi) southwest of New Tazewell, TN, at 11:23 am EDT on 17 July 2019 (15:23 UTC), 13 km deep. 83 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 7 km SW of New Tazewell, Tennessee

54 km (34 mi) NNE of Knoxville, TN

11:23 am EDT, Jul 17, 2019 · · 13 km deep · released about 800 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Claiborne County 12 kmGrainger County 18 kmUnion County 21 kmBell County 38 kmHamblen County 39 kmHancock County 40 kmJefferson County 42 kmCampbell County 46 kmKnox County 51 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
11:23 am EDT on 17 July 2019 ()
Where
7 km (4 mi) southwest of New Tazewell, TN · earthquakes near New Tazewell
Magnitude
M 3.0 (md)
Depth
13 km below the surface
Felt
83 reports · strongest reported intensity IV
Nearest
Claiborne County, 12 km N
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1573 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 69 km (43 mi) from the epicentre. In New Tazewell, 7 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: Fincastle 36 km, intensity III · Mascot 38 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 800 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 4.0 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Northridge, California 1994 M 6.7 420,000× the energy of this one
  2. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 19,000× the energy of this one
  3. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 13,000× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 3.0 about 800 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 36.3907, -83.6472. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Claiborne County, TN 12 km (8 mi) N earthquakes near Claiborne County
Grainger County, TN 18 km (11 mi) SE earthquakes near Grainger County
Union County, TN 21 km (13 mi) SW earthquakes near Union County
Bell County, KY 38 km (23 mi) N earthquakes near Bell County
Hamblen County, TN 39 km (24 mi) ESE earthquakes near Hamblen County
Hancock County, TN 40 km (25 mi) ENE earthquakes near Hancock County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.2 10 km ENE of Knoxville, Tennessee
  2. 2.3 11 km ESE of Mascot, Tennessee
  3. 2.0 8 km ENE of Knoxville, Tennessee
  4. 2.3 10 km S of Jellico, Tennessee
  5. 2.3 16 km N of Maynardville, Tennessee
  6. 2.4 5 km NNE of Bean Station, Tennessee
  7. 2.4 5 km ENE of Harrogate, Tennessee
  8. 2.3 2 km ENE of Rutledge, Tennessee
  9. 2.1 9 km ENE of Rutledge, Tennessee
  10. 2.1 4 km WNW of Dandridge, Tennessee
  11. 1.8 12 km W of New Tazewell, Tennessee
  12. 2.1 7 km ENE of Rutledge, Tennessee
  13. 1.9 8 km WNW of Rutledge, Tennessee
  14. 2.4 2 km ESE of Rutledge, Tennessee
  15. 2.4 7 km ENE of Blaine, 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.