QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.0md

Earthquake near Alcoa, TN

No earthquake was likely felt in Alcoa in the 24 hours to 7:29 am EST (12:29 UTC). The last one was M 2.1, 12 km (8 mi) NNE, at 2:55 pm EST on 5 November 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Alcoa

This page: a magnitude 2.0 earthquake was recorded 3 km (2 mi) west-southwest of Alcoa, TN, at 4:47 pm EDT on 11 July 2021 (20:47 UTC), 21 km deep.

USGS: 2 km WSW of Alcoa, Tennessee

22 km (14 mi) SSW of Knoxville, TN

4:47 pm EDT, Jul 11, 2021 · · 21 km deep · released about 30 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Blount County 12 kmKnox County 25 kmLoudon County 29 kmAnderson County 41 kmMonroe County 43 kmSevier County 43 kmRoane County 48 kmGraham County 50 kmSwain County 54 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
4:47 pm EDT on 11 July 2021 ()
Where
3 km (2 mi) west-southwest of Alcoa, TN · earthquakes near Alcoa
Magnitude
M 2.0 (md)
Depth
21 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Blount County, 12 km SE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1948 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 13 km (8 mi) from the epicentre. In Alcoa, 3 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 4 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 30 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.0 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 500,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 350,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 32× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.0 about 30 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 35.7780, -84.0025. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Blount County, TN 12 km (8 mi) SE earthquakes near Blount County
Knox County, TN 25 km (15 mi) NNE earthquakes near Knox County
Loudon County, TN 29 km (18 mi) W earthquakes near Loudon County
Anderson County, TN 41 km (26 mi) NNW earthquakes near Anderson County
Monroe County, TN 43 km (27 mi) SSW earthquakes near Monroe County
Sevier County, TN 43 km (27 mi) E earthquakes near Sevier County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.5 4 km NNE of Greenback, Tennessee
  2. 2.1 Tennessee
  3. 2.2 1 km S of Garland, Tennessee
  4. 2.7 3 km S of Blaine, Tennessee
  5. 2.0 3 km ESE of Vonore, Tennessee
  6. 1.8 4 km SSW of Loudon, Tennessee
  7. 2.0 3 km SSW of Maryville, Tennessee
  8. 2.0 Tennessee
  9. 2.1 5 km S of Greenback, Tennessee
  10. 1.8 6 km NNW of Farragut, Tennessee
  11. 2.5 Tennessee
  12. 1.7 3 km NE of Greenback, Tennessee
  13. 1.8 Tennessee
  14. 1.8 4 km NE of Vonore, Tennessee
  15. 2.2 4 km ENE of Madisonville, 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.