QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.1md

Earthquake near Pineville, NC

No earthquake was likely felt in Pineville in the 24 hours to 3:11 pm EST (20:11 UTC). The last one was M 2.2, 19 km (12 mi) SSW, at 4:02 am EDT on 11 June 2024, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 5 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Pineville

This page: a magnitude 2.1 earthquake was recorded in Pineville, NC, at 5:56 am EDT on 12 May 2023 (09:56 UTC), less than 1 km deep. 25 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 1 km NNW of Pineville, North Carolina

14 km (9 mi) SSW of Charlotte, NC

5:56 am EDT, May 12, 2023 · · 0.0 km deep · released about 46 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Mecklenburg County 18 kmYork County 29 kmGaston County 34 kmUnion County 35 kmCabarrus County 46 kmLancaster County 48 kmChester County 51 kmLincoln County 53 kmStanly County 63 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
5:56 am EDT on 12 May 2023 ()
Where
in Pineville, NC · earthquakes near Pineville
North Carolina today
every earthquake in North Carolina in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 2.1 (md)
Depth
0.0 km below the surface
Felt
25 reports · strongest reported intensity IV
Nearest
Mecklenburg County, 18 km NNE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 335 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 29 km (18 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.

Earthquakes near other towns within 30 km: Fort Mill, Lake Wylie, Marvin, Tega Cay, India Hook, Weddington.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 46 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.1 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 330,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 230,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 21× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.1 about 46 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 35.0918, -80.8980. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Mecklenburg County, NC 18 km (11 mi) NNE earthquakes near Mecklenburg County
York County, SC 29 km (18 mi) WSW earthquakes near York County
Gaston County, NC 34 km (21 mi) NW earthquakes near Gaston County
Union County, NC 35 km (22 mi) ESE earthquakes near Union County
Cabarrus County, NC 46 km (28 mi) NE earthquakes near Cabarrus County
Lancaster County, SC 48 km (30 mi) SSE earthquakes near Lancaster County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.2 7 km SSW of Jaars, North Carolina
  2. 2.0 5 km SSW of Marshville, North Carolina
  3. 1.7 5 km W of Jaars, North Carolina
  4. 2.2 3 km NNW of Lesslie, South Carolina
  5. 2.2 9 km SE of Belmont, North Carolina

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.