QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.2md

Earthquake near Dalton, GA

No earthquake was likely felt in Dalton in the 24 hours to 9:46 am EST (14:46 UTC). The last one was M 2.4, 19 km (12 mi) SSW, at 4:54 am EDT on 22 August 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 1 felt report to USGS. Every earthquake near Dalton

This page: a magnitude 2.2 earthquake was recorded 9 km (6 mi) south-southwest of Dalton, GA, at 11:45 am EDT on 24 March 2024 (15:45 UTC), 9.8 km deep. 2 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 8 km SSW of Dalton, Georgia

46 km (29 mi) SSE of Chattanooga, TN · 117 km (73 mi) NNW of Atlanta, GA

11:45 am EDT, Mar 24, 2024 · · 9.8 km deep · released about 69 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Whitfield County 12 kmGordon County 24 kmCatoosa County 26 kmMurray County 27 kmWalker County 27 kmChattooga County 39 kmDade County 49 kmGilmer County 51 kmFloyd County 52 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
11:45 am EDT on 24 March 2024 ()
Where
9 km (6 mi) south-southwest of Dalton, GA · earthquakes near Dalton
Magnitude
M 2.2 (md)
Depth
9.8 km below the surface
Felt
2 reports · strongest reported intensity I
Nearest
Whitfield County, 12 km NNE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 550 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 33 km (21 mi) from the epicentre. In Dalton, 9 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: Calhoun, Varnell, Chatsworth, LaFayette, Ringgold.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 69 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.2 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 220,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 150,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 14× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.2 about 69 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 34.6967, -85.0097. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Whitfield County, GA 12 km (8 mi) NNE earthquakes near Whitfield County
Gordon County, GA 24 km (15 mi) SSE earthquakes near Gordon County
Catoosa County, GA 26 km (16 mi) NNW earthquakes near Catoosa County
Murray County, GA 27 km (17 mi) ENE earthquakes near Murray County
Walker County, GA 27 km (17 mi) W earthquakes near Walker County
Chattooga County, GA 39 km (25 mi) SW earthquakes near Chattooga County

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

Aftershocks so far

33 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 1 km NW of Trion, Georgia
  4. 2.4 10 km WNW of Resaca, Georgia
  5. 2.1 11 km ESE of Trenton, Georgia
  6. 2.1 3 km SW of Varnell, Georgia
  7. 2.4 4 km SW of LaFayette, Georgia
  8. 1.7 6 km W of Linwood, Georgia
  9. 2.3 6 km WSW of Linwood, Georgia
  10. 2.0 4 km NNE of Trenton, Georgia
  11. 1.9 9 km NNW of Eton, Georgia
  12. 2.1 3 km ENE of Cohutta, Georgia
  13. 2.4 4 km NW of Cohutta, Georgia
  14. 2.2 6 km WNW of Linwood, Georgia
  15. 2.1 5 km E of Trion, 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.