QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.5md

Earthquake near Stevenson, AL

No earthquake was likely felt in Stevenson in the 24 hours to 7:37 am CST (13:37 UTC). The last one was M 4.1, 184 km (115 mi) ENE, at 8:04 am CDT on 10 May 2025, estimated intensity III (weak) in town; 45,935 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Stevenson

This page: a magnitude 2.5 earthquake was recorded 7 km (4 mi) east-northeast of Stevenson, AL, at 5:00 am CST on 23 December 2023 (11:00 UTC), 7.3 km deep. 5 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 7 km ENE of Stevenson, Alabama

51 km (32 mi) WSW of Chattanooga, TN

5:00 am CST, Dec 23, 2023 · · 7.3 km deep · released about 170 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Jackson County 24 kmDade County 25 kmMarion County 29 kmFranklin County 41 kmWalker County 46 kmDeKalb County 49 kmGrundy County 55 kmCatoosa County 58 kmHamilton County 59 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
5:00 am CST on 23 December 2023 ()
Where
7 km (4 mi) east-northeast of Stevenson, AL · earthquakes near Stevenson
Magnitude
M 2.5 (md)
Depth
7.3 km below the surface
Felt
5 reports · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Jackson County, 24 km SW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 988 days ago

This was a small earthquake. Shaking like this is often felt indoors nearby and very rarely causes damage.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 45 km (28 mi) from the epicentre. In Stevenson, 7 km away, the estimate is intensity III (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: Bridgeport, South Pittsburg, New Hope, Kimball, Jasper, Trenton.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 170 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.5 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 89,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 63,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 5.6× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.5 about 170 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 34.9010, -85.7707. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Jackson County, AL 24 km (15 mi) SW earthquakes near Jackson County
Dade County, GA 25 km (15 mi) ESE earthquakes near Dade County
Marion County, TN 29 km (18 mi) NNE earthquakes near Marion County
Franklin County, TN 41 km (26 mi) NW earthquakes near Franklin County
Walker County, GA 46 km (29 mi) ESE earthquakes near Walker County
DeKalb County, AL 49 km (30 mi) S earthquakes near DeKalb County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.0 3 km SW of LaFayette, Georgia
  2. 2.0 14 km ENE of Mentone, Alabama
  3. 2.1 11 km ESE of Trenton, Georgia
  4. 2.4 12 km S of Tracy City, Tennessee
  5. 2.4 4 km SW of LaFayette, Georgia
  6. 1.7 6 km W of Linwood, Georgia
  7. 2.3 6 km WSW of Linwood, Georgia
  8. 2.0 4 km NNE of Trenton, Georgia
  9. 2.3 3 km S of Lone Oak, Tennessee
  10. 2.2 6 km WNW of Linwood, Georgia
  11. 2.2 8 km N of Menlo, Georgia
  12. 2.6 8 km N of Menlo, Georgia
  13. 2.3 6 km WSW of Linwood, Georgia
  14. 1.8 2 km SW of Chickamauga, Georgia
  15. 2.3 0 km NNE of Section, 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.