QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.1md

Earthquake near Vonore, TN

No earthquake was likely felt in Vonore in the 24 hours to 9:20 am EST (14:20 UTC). The last one was M 1.9, 8 km (5 mi) NW, at 6:50 am EDT on 12 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Vonore

This page: a magnitude 2.1 earthquake was recorded 10 km (6 mi) east-southeast of Vonore, TN, at 2:21 pm EDT on 23 August 2019 (18:21 UTC), 6.0 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 9 km ESE of Vonore, Tennessee

50 km (31 mi) SSW of Knoxville, TN

2:21 pm EDT, Aug 23, 2019 · · 6.0 km deep · released about 41 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Monroe County 15 kmBlount County 25 kmLoudon County 26 kmGraham County 36 kmMcMinn County 45 kmCherokee County 47 kmRoane County 48 kmKnox County 52 kmPolk 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
2:21 pm EDT on 23 August 2019 ()
Where
10 km (6 mi) east-southeast of Vonore, TN · earthquakes near Vonore
Magnitude
M 2.1 (md)
Depth
6.0 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity I
Nearest
Monroe County, 15 km SW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2634 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 27 km (17 mi) from the epicentre. In Vonore, 10 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 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 41 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 5.8 370,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 260,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 23× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.1 about 41 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 35.5515, -84.1442. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Monroe County, TN 15 km (9 mi) SW earthquakes near Monroe County
Blount County, TN 25 km (16 mi) NE earthquakes near Blount County
Loudon County, TN 26 km (16 mi) NW earthquakes near Loudon County
Graham County, NC 36 km (23 mi) SE earthquakes near Graham County
McMinn County, TN 45 km (28 mi) WSW earthquakes near McMinn County
Cherokee County, NC 47 km (29 mi) S earthquakes near Cherokee 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. 1.6 11 km WNW of Sweetwater, Tennessee
  2. 1.9 1 km NW of Niota, Tennessee
  3. 2.0 3 km SE of Tellico Village, Tennessee
  4. 2.0 3 km SSW of Garland, Tennessee
  5. 1.6 7 km WSW of Tellico Village, Tennessee
  6. 2.3 5 km NE of Greenback, Tennessee
  7. 2.3 0 km SW of Knoxville, Tennessee
  8. 1.6 3 km ENE of Philadelphia, Tennessee
  9. 2.5 11 km SSW of Maryville, Tennessee
  10. 2.5 7 km SE of Maryville, Tennessee
  11. 2.0 3 km SSW of Loudon, Tennessee
  12. 2.1 6 km S of Sweetwater, Tennessee
  13. 2.0 8 km SE of Tellico Plains, 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.