QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.2md

Earthquake near Lakesite, TN

No earthquake was likely felt in Lakesite in the 24 hours to 3:23 pm EST (20:23 UTC). The last one was M 2.3, 23 km (14 mi) W, at 5:09 am EDT on 1 July 2025, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 2 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Lakesite

This page: a magnitude 2.2 earthquake was recorded 5 km (3 mi) south-southeast of Lakesite, TN, at 5:51 pm EDT on 4 September 2022 (21:51 UTC), 20 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 4 km SSE of Lakesite, Tennessee

17 km (11 mi) NE of Chattanooga, TN

5:51 pm EDT, Sep 4, 2022 · · 20 km deep · released about 67 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Hamilton County 9 kmBradley County 22 kmCatoosa County 30 kmSequatchie County 36 kmWhitfield County 43 kmMarion County 46 kmMeigs County 46 kmBledsoe County 48 kmRhea 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
5:51 pm EDT on 4 September 2022 ()
Where
5 km (3 mi) south-southeast of Lakesite, TN · earthquakes near Lakesite
Magnitude
M 2.2 (md)
Depth
20 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Hamilton County, 9 km W
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1526 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 28 km (17 mi) from the epicentre. In Lakesite, 5 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: Harrison, Middle Valley, Soddy-Daisy, Collegedale, Falling Water, Mowbray Mountain.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 67 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 5.7 160,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 14× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.2 about 67 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 35.1687, -85.1042. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Hamilton County, TN 9 km (6 mi) W earthquakes near Hamilton County
Bradley County, TN 22 km (14 mi) E earthquakes near Bradley County
Catoosa County, GA 30 km (19 mi) S earthquakes near Catoosa County
Sequatchie County, TN 36 km (22 mi) NW earthquakes near Sequatchie County
Whitfield County, GA 43 km (26 mi) SSE earthquakes near Whitfield County
Marion County, TN 46 km (29 mi) W earthquakes near Marion County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.1 7 km SSW of Dunlap, Tennessee
  2. 2.1 7 km ESE of Benton, Tennessee
  3. 2.0 8 km E of Benton, Tennessee
  4. 2.0 6 km WSW of Riceville, Tennessee
  5. 2.1 11 km ESE of Trenton, Georgia
  6. 2.1 3 km SW of Varnell, Georgia
  7. 1.9 5 km SSW of Riceville, Tennessee
  8. 1.9 8 km WSW of Etowah, Tennessee
  9. 1.8 6 km WSW of Etowah, Tennessee
  10. 2.2 2 km W of Dayton, Tennessee
  11. 2.1 4 km NNW of Dayton, Tennessee
  12. 1.8 6 km SW of Decatur, Tennessee
  13. 2.0 4 km NNE of Trenton, Georgia
  14. 1.9 9 km NNW of Eton, Georgia
  15. 2.3 7 km SSE of Charleston, 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.