QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.2md

Earthquake near Chickamauga, GA

No earthquake was likely felt in Chickamauga in the 24 hours to 9:46 am EST (14:46 UTC). The last one was M 2.0, 21 km (13 mi) S, at 7:53 am EST on 9 November 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Chickamauga

This page: a magnitude 2.2 earthquake was recorded 6 km (4 mi) west-southwest of Chickamauga, GA, at 4:51 pm EDT on 30 July 2020 (20:51 UTC), 12 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 5 km WSW of Chickamauga, Georgia

25 km (16 mi) SSW of Chattanooga, TN

4:51 pm EDT, Jul 30, 2020 · · 12 km deep · released about 64 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Dade County 14 kmWalker County 14 kmCatoosa County 20 kmWhitfield County 36 kmHamilton County 37 kmMarion County 38 kmChattooga County 43 kmBradley County 56 kmMurray County 57 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
4:51 pm EDT on 30 July 2020 ()
Where
6 km (4 mi) west-southwest of Chickamauga, GA · earthquakes near Chickamauga
Magnitude
M 2.2 (md)
Depth
12 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Dade County, 14 km W
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2294 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 32 km (20 mi) from the epicentre. In Chickamauga, 6 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.

Earthquakes near other towns within 30 km: Chattanooga Valley, Fairview, Lookout Mountain, Fort Oglethorpe, Trenton, Lookout Mountain.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 64 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.2 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 230,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 170,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 15× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.2 about 64 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 34.8585, -85.3543. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Dade County, GA 14 km (9 mi) W earthquakes near Dade County
Walker County, GA 14 km (9 mi) SSE earthquakes near Walker County
Catoosa County, GA 20 km (13 mi) ENE earthquakes near Catoosa County
Whitfield County, GA 36 km (22 mi) E earthquakes near Whitfield County
Hamilton County, TN 37 km (23 mi) NNE earthquakes near Hamilton County
Marion County, TN 38 km (23 mi) NW earthquakes near Marion 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. 2.4 4 km NW of Cohutta, Georgia
  2. 2.2 6 km WNW of Linwood, Georgia
  3. 2.1 5 km E of Trion, Georgia
  4. 2.2 8 km N of Menlo, Georgia
  5. 2.6 8 km N of Menlo, Georgia
  6. 2.3 6 km WSW of Linwood, Georgia
  7. 1.8 4 km SE of Apison, Tennessee
  8. 2.0 1 km WSW of Collegedale, Tennessee
  9. 1.9 5 km E of LaFayette, Georgia
  10. 1.8 2 km SW of Chickamauga, Georgia
  11. 2.2 2 km S of Ringgold, Georgia
  12. 2.5 4 km N of Tunnel Hill, Georgia
  13. 2.1 10 km SE of Chickamauga, Georgia
  14. 2.2 4 km WSW of Tunnel Hill, Georgia
  15. 2.0 10 km WNW of Resaca, 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.