QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.0md

Earthquake near Sylacauga, AL

No earthquake was likely felt in Sylacauga in the 24 hours to 12:14 am CST (06:14 UTC). The last one was M 4.9, 682 km (424 mi) W, at 5:30 am CST on 5 March 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 1,576 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Sylacauga

This page: a magnitude 2.0 earthquake was recorded 14 km (8 mi) east-northeast of Sylacauga, AL, at 12:44 am CST on 22 November 2022 (06:44 UTC), 13 km deep.

USGS: 9 km NNE of Hollins, Alabama

73 km (46 mi) ESE of Birmingham, AL

12:44 am CST, Nov 22, 2022 · · 13 km deep · released about 31 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Talladega County 20 kmClay County 24 kmCoosa County 32 kmTallapoosa County 47 kmShelby County 52 kmSt. Clair County 61 kmRandolph County 61 kmElmore County 67 kmCalhoun County 68 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
12:44 am CST on 22 November 2022 ()
Where
14 km (8 mi) east-northeast of Sylacauga, AL · earthquakes near Sylacauga
Magnitude
M 2.0 (md)
Depth
13 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Talladega County, 20 km NNW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1407 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 21 km (13 mi) from the epicentre. In Sylacauga, 14 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: Goodwater, Stewartville, Childersburg, Talladega, Ashland, Fayetteville.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 31 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 5.8 480,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 340,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 31× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.0 about 31 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 33.2013, -86.1100. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Talladega County, AL 20 km (12 mi) NNW earthquakes near Talladega County
Clay County, AL 24 km (15 mi) ENE earthquakes near Clay County
Coosa County, AL 32 km (20 mi) SSW earthquakes near Coosa County
Tallapoosa County, AL 47 km (29 mi) SE earthquakes near Tallapoosa County
Shelby County, AL 52 km (32 mi) W earthquakes near Shelby County
St. Clair County, AL 61 km (38 mi) NNW earthquakes near St. Clair County

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

Aftershocks so far

1 earthquake has been recorded within 50 km since this one.

  1. 2.3 1 km SE of Talladega, Alabama

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.