QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.9md

Alabama

Yes. A magnitude 1.9 earthquake was recorded in Alabama, 20 km (13 mi) S of Chattanooga, TN, at 4:36 am EST on 24 November 2023 (09:36 UTC), 5.3 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

20 km (13 mi) S of Chattanooga, TN

· 5.3 km deep · released about 19 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Catoosa County 8 kmWalker County 18 kmWhitfield County 25 kmDade County 26 kmHamilton County 31 kmMarion County 44 kmBradley County 45 kmMurray County 45 kmChattooga County 47 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
Magnitude
M 1.9 (md)
Depth
5.3 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
Catoosa County, 8 km ENE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1081 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 18 km (11 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: Chickamauga, Fort Oglethorpe, Fairview, Ringgold, Lakeview, Rossville.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 19 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.9 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 810,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 580,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 51× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.9 about 19 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 34.8842, -85.2210. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Catoosa County, GA 8 km (5 mi) ENE earthquakes near Catoosa County
Walker County, GA 18 km (11 mi) SSW earthquakes near Walker County
Whitfield County, GA 25 km (15 mi) ESE earthquakes near Whitfield County
Dade County, GA 26 km (16 mi) W earthquakes near Dade County
Hamilton County, TN 31 km (19 mi) N earthquakes near Hamilton County
Marion County, TN 44 km (28 mi) NW earthquakes near Marion County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.0 3 km SW of LaFayette, Georgia
  2. 2.1 7 km SSW of Dunlap, Tennessee
  3. 2.0 14 km ENE of Mentone, Alabama
  4. 2.1 1 km NW of Trion, Georgia
  5. 2.4 10 km WNW of Resaca, Georgia
  6. 2.1 11 km ESE of Trenton, Georgia
  7. 2.1 3 km SW of Varnell, Georgia
  8. 2.4 4 km SW of LaFayette, Georgia
  9. 1.7 6 km W of Linwood, Georgia
  10. 2.3 6 km WSW of Linwood, Georgia
  11. 2.0 4 km NNE of Trenton, Georgia
  12. 1.9 9 km NNW of Eton, Georgia
  13. 2.3 3 km S of Lone Oak, Tennessee
  14. 2.1 3 km ENE of Cohutta, Georgia
  15. 2.4 4 km NW of Cohutta, Georgia

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.