QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.8md

Earthquake near New Tazewell, TN

No earthquake was likely felt in New Tazewell in the 24 hours to 5:41 am EST (10:41 UTC). The last one was M 2.3, 19 km (12 mi) SSE, at 2:41 am EDT on 9 July 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 1 felt report to USGS. Every earthquake near New Tazewell

This page: a magnitude 1.8 earthquake was recorded 4 km (3 mi) south of New Tazewell, TN, at 3:32 am EDT on 3 April 2024 (07:32 UTC), 16 km deep. 4 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 4 km S of New Tazewell, Tennessee

58 km (36 mi) NNE of Knoxville, TN

3:32 am EDT, Apr 3, 2024 · · 16 km deep · released about 16 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Claiborne County 12 kmGrainger County 16 kmUnion County 25 kmHancock County 35 kmHamblen County 36 kmBell County 37 kmJefferson County 42 kmCampbell County 51 kmLee County 53 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
3:32 am EDT on 3 April 2024 ()
Where
4 km (3 mi) south of New Tazewell, TN · earthquakes near New Tazewell
Magnitude
M 1.8 (md)
Depth
16 km below the surface
Felt
4 reports · strongest reported intensity IV
Nearest
Claiborne County, 12 km NNW
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 7 km (4 mi) from the epicentre. In New Tazewell, 4 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: Tazewell, Rutledge, Harrogate, Maynardville, Middlesboro, Speedwell.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 16 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.8 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 970,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 680,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 61× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.8 about 16 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 36.4038, -83.5942. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Claiborne County, TN 12 km (8 mi) NNW earthquakes near Claiborne County
Grainger County, TN 16 km (10 mi) SSE earthquakes near Grainger County
Union County, TN 25 km (16 mi) WSW earthquakes near Union County
Hancock County, TN 35 km (22 mi) ENE earthquakes near Hancock County
Hamblen County, TN 36 km (22 mi) SE earthquakes near Hamblen County
Bell County, KY 37 km (23 mi) NNW earthquakes near Bell County

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

Aftershocks so far

21 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. 2.1 5 km ESE of Pineville, Kentucky
  8. 2.6 11 km SW of Middlesboro, Kentucky
  9. 2.3 11 km ESE of Mascot, Tennessee
  10. 2.3 10 km S of Jellico, Tennessee
  11. 2.3 16 km N of Maynardville, Tennessee
  12. 2.4 5 km NNE of Bean Station, Tennessee
  13. 2.4 5 km ENE of Harrogate, Tennessee
  14. 2.3 2 km ENE of Rutledge, Tennessee
  15. 2.1 9 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.