QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.5md

Earthquake near New Market, TN

No earthquake was likely felt in New Market in the 24 hours to 9:09 am EST (14:09 UTC). The last one was M 2.3, 20 km (12 mi) N, at 2:41 am EDT on 9 July 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 1 felt report to USGS. Every earthquake near New Market

This page: a magnitude 2.5 earthquake was recorded 8 km (5 mi) west-southwest of New Market, TN, at 12:27 am EST on 13 February 2021 (05:27 UTC), 20 km deep. 17 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 7 km WSW of New Market, Tennessee

31 km (19 mi) ENE of Knoxville, TN

12:27 am EST, Feb 13, 2021 · · 20 km deep · released about 190 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Jefferson County 17 kmGrainger County 25 kmKnox County 29 kmUnion County 30 kmSevier County 33 kmHamblen County 36 kmClaiborne County 48 kmCocke County 49 kmBlount County 50 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
12:27 am EST on 13 February 2021 ()
Where
8 km (5 mi) west-southwest of New Market, TN · earthquakes near New Market
Magnitude
M 2.5 (md)
Depth
20 km below the surface
Felt
17 reports · strongest reported intensity IV
Nearest
Jefferson County, 17 km E
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2028 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 43 km (27 mi) from the epicentre. In New Market, 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.

Likely felt in: Mascot 11 km, intensity II · Seymour 22 km, intensity II · Sevierville 23 km, intensity II · Knoxville 29 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 190 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.5 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 80,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 57,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 5.1× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.5 about 190 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 36.0705, -83.6257. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Jefferson County, TN 17 km (10 mi) E earthquakes near Jefferson County
Grainger County, TN 25 km (16 mi) NNE earthquakes near Grainger County
Knox County, TN 29 km (18 mi) WSW earthquakes near Knox County
Union County, TN 30 km (19 mi) NW earthquakes near Union County
Sevier County, TN 33 km (20 mi) SSE earthquakes near Sevier County
Hamblen County, TN 36 km (23 mi) ENE earthquakes near Hamblen County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.4 7 km ENE of Blaine, Tennessee
  2. 1.8 3 km W of Maryville, Tennessee
  3. 1.8 4 km S of New Tazewell, Tennessee
  4. 1.9 1 km NE of Rutledge, Tennessee
  5. 1.9 1 km WSW of Plainview, Tennessee
  6. 1.6 1 km SSW of Eagleton Village, Tennessee
  7. 2.0 Tennessee-North Carolina border region
  8. 2.4 Kentucky-Tennessee border region
  9. 2.4 10 km SW of Gatlinburg, Tennessee
  10. 2.4 Tennessee-North Carolina border region
  11. 2.6 Kentucky-Tennessee border region
  12. 2.7 3 km S of Blaine, Tennessee
  13. 2.8 Kentucky-Tennessee border region
  14. 2.0 3 km E of Rutledge, Tennessee
  15. 2.2 Kentucky-Tennessee border region

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.