QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.4md

Earthquake near Alcoa, TN

No earthquake was likely felt in Alcoa in the 24 hours to 3:44 pm EST (20:44 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 2.4 earthquake was recorded in Alcoa, TN, at 6:26 pm EDT on 14 August 2022 (22:26 UTC), 12 km deep. 3 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 0 km NE of Alcoa, Tennessee

20 km (12 mi) S of Knoxville, TN

6:26 pm EDT, Aug 14, 2022 · · 12 km deep · released about 120 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Alcoa Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Blount County 12 kmKnox County 22 kmLoudon County 32 kmSevier County 40 kmAnderson County 41 kmMonroe County 46 kmRoane County 50 kmGraham County 51 kmSwain County 52 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
6:26 pm EDT on 14 August 2022 ()
Where
in Alcoa, TN · earthquakes near Alcoa
Magnitude
M 2.4 (md)
Depth
12 km below the surface
Felt
3 reports · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Blount County, 12 km SSE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1476 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 40 km (25 mi) from the epicentre. 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 III · Knoxville 19 km, intensity II · Farragut 20 km, intensity II · Seymour 24 km, intensity II · Mascot 36 km, intensity II · Sevierville 38 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 120 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 5.8 130,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 92,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 8.2× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.4 about 120 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 35.7942, -83.9678. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Blount County, TN 12 km (8 mi) SSE earthquakes near Blount County
Knox County, TN 22 km (14 mi) N earthquakes near Knox County
Loudon County, TN 32 km (20 mi) WSW earthquakes near Loudon County
Sevier County, TN 40 km (25 mi) E earthquakes near Sevier County
Anderson County, TN 41 km (26 mi) NNW earthquakes near Anderson County
Monroe County, TN 46 km (29 mi) SSW earthquakes near Monroe County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.0 5 km NW of Madisonville, Tennessee
  2. 2.2 11 km SE of Townsend, Tennessee
  3. 1.6 6 km E of Oak Ridge, Tennessee
  4. 1.8 3 km W of Maryville, Tennessee
  5. 2.0 14 km SE of Vonore, Tennessee
  6. 1.6 5 km NNE of Greenback, Tennessee
  7. 2.1 16 km WNW of Bryson City, North Carolina
  8. 2.0 17 km W of Bryson City, North Carolina
  9. 1.7 17 km WNW of Bryson City, North Carolina
  10. 2.0 17 km WNW of Bryson City, North Carolina
  11. 1.7 17 km WNW of Bryson City, North Carolina
  12. 2.1 17 km WNW of Bryson City, North Carolina
  13. 2.0 17 km WNW of Bryson City, North Carolina
  14. 2.0 13 km SE of Greenback, Tennessee
  15. 1.6 7 km SSE of Vonore, 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.