QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.4md

Earthquake near Dalton, GA

No earthquake was likely felt in Dalton in the 24 hours to 8:08 pm EST (01:08 UTC). The last one was M 2.4, 19 km (12 mi) SSW, at 4:54 am EDT on 22 August 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 1 felt report to USGS. Every earthquake near Dalton

This page: a magnitude 2.4 earthquake was recorded 8 km (5 mi) northeast of Dalton, GA, at 8:00 pm EDT on 2 October 2019 (00:00 UTC), 7.6 km deep. 5 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 7 km NE of Dalton, Georgia

42 km (26 mi) SE of Chattanooga, TN · 41 km (26 mi) S of Cleveland, TN

8:00 pm EDT, Oct 2, 2019 · · 7.6 km deep · released about 100 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Whitfield County 6 kmMurray County 15 kmCatoosa County 24 kmGordon County 34 kmWalker County 38 kmBradley County 38 kmGilmer County 43 kmPolk County 47 kmHamilton County 48 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
8:00 pm EDT on 2 October 2019 ()
Where
8 km (5 mi) northeast of Dalton, GA · earthquakes near Dalton
Magnitude
M 2.4 (md)
Depth
7.6 km below the surface
Felt
5 reports · strongest reported intensity IV
Nearest
Whitfield County, 6 km W
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1830 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 39 km (24 mi) from the epicentre. In Dalton, 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.

Earthquakes near other towns within 30 km: Varnell, Chatsworth, Ringgold, Apison.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 100 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.4 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 150,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 110,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 9.4× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.4 about 100 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 34.8100, -84.9030. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Whitfield County, GA 6 km (4 mi) W earthquakes near Whitfield County
Murray County, GA 15 km (9 mi) E earthquakes near Murray County
Catoosa County, GA 24 km (15 mi) WNW earthquakes near Catoosa County
Gordon County, GA 34 km (21 mi) S earthquakes near Gordon County
Walker County, GA 38 km (23 mi) WSW earthquakes near Walker County
Bradley County, TN 38 km (24 mi) N earthquakes near Bradley County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.3 10 km WNW of Resaca, Georgia
  2. 2.1 11 km SW of Dalton, Georgia
  3. 2.0 15 km ESE of Wildwood Lake, Tennessee
  4. 1.9 1 km E of Collegedale, Tennessee
  5. 2.2 8 km SSW of Dalton, Georgia
  6. 2.2 3 km ENE of East Brainerd, Tennessee
  7. 1.9 Alabama
  8. 1.9 6 km NW of Eton, Georgia
  9. 2.3 8 km W of Tunnel Hill, Georgia
  10. 1.7 8 km ENE of Wildwood Lake, Tennessee
  11. 2.2 7 km ENE of East Cleveland, Tennessee
  12. 2.0 2 km SSE of Varnell, Georgia
  13. 2.0 8 km N of Trion, Georgia
  14. 1.5 13 km SW of Dalton, Georgia
  15. 2.0 13 km SW of Dalton, 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.