QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.9md

Earthquake near Rutledge, TN

No earthquake was likely felt in Rutledge in the 24 hours to 3:22 pm EST (20:22 UTC). The last one was M 2.3, in Rutledge, at 2:41 am EDT on 9 July 2026, estimated intensity III (weak) in town; 1 felt report to USGS. Every earthquake near Rutledge

This page: a magnitude 1.9 earthquake was recorded in Rutledge, TN, at 8:31 pm EST on 26 February 2024 (01:31 UTC), 7.3 km deep.

USGS: 1 km NE of Rutledge, Tennessee

54 km (33 mi) NE of Knoxville, TN

8:31 pm EST, Feb 26, 2024 · · 7.3 km deep · released about 25 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Grainger County 2 kmHamblen County 23 kmClaiborne County 27 kmJefferson County 28 kmUnion County 30 kmHancock County 36 kmBell County 51 kmKnox County 51 kmCocke County 54 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
8:31 pm EST on 26 February 2024 ()
Where
in Rutledge, TN · earthquakes near Rutledge
Magnitude
M 1.9 (md)
Depth
7.3 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Grainger County, 2 km SSW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 988 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. 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: New Tazewell, Jefferson City, Tazewell, Bean Station, Morristown, New Market.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 25 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 5.8 620,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 440,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 39× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.9 about 25 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 36.2915, -83.5050. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Grainger County, TN 2 km (1 mi) SSW earthquakes near Grainger County
Hamblen County, TN 23 km (14 mi) ESE earthquakes near Hamblen County
Claiborne County, TN 27 km (17 mi) NNW earthquakes near Claiborne County
Jefferson County, TN 28 km (17 mi) SSE earthquakes near Jefferson County
Union County, TN 30 km (18 mi) W earthquakes near Union County
Hancock County, TN 36 km (22 mi) NE earthquakes near Hancock County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.3 1 km W of Rutledge, Tennessee
  2. 2.0 4 km WNW of Mascot, Tennessee
  3. 1.9 3 km NW of Mascot, Tennessee
  4. 2.1 2 km S of Blaine, Tennessee
  5. 1.9 5 km NNW of Mascot, Tennessee
  6. 1.9 9 km WSW of Mascot, Tennessee
  7. 2.6 11 km SW of Middlesboro, Kentucky
  8. 2.2 10 km ENE of Knoxville, Tennessee
  9. 2.3 11 km ESE of Mascot, Tennessee
  10. 2.0 8 km ENE of Knoxville, Tennessee
  11. 2.3 16 km N of Maynardville, Tennessee
  12. 2.1 8 km ENE of Seymour, Tennessee
  13. 2.4 5 km NNE of Bean Station, Tennessee
  14. 2.4 5 km ENE of Harrogate, Tennessee
  15. 2.3 2 km ENE of Rutledge, 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.