QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.1md

Earthquake near Pineville, KY

No earthquake was likely felt in Pineville in the 24 hours to 12:34 am EST (05:34 UTC). The last one was M 2.1, 6 km (4 mi) ESE, at 3:01 am EST on 10 January 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 1 felt report to USGS. Every earthquake near Pineville

This page: a magnitude 2.1 earthquake was recorded 6 km (4 mi) east-southeast of Pineville, KY, at 3:01 am EST on 10 January 2026 (08:01 UTC), 28 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 5 km ESE of Pineville, Kentucky

91 km (57 mi) NNE of Knoxville, TN

3:01 am EST, Jan 10, 2026 · · 28 km deep · released about 46 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Bell County 5 kmKnox County 25 kmClaiborne County 28 kmHarlan County 38 kmLeslie County 43 kmHancock County 44 kmLee County 45 kmWhitley County 46 kmClay County 47 km
Distance rings around the epicentre, with the nearest towns at their true direction. Not a shaking map — see the USGS ShakeMap for that.
When
3:01 am EST on 10 January 2026 ()
Where
6 km (4 mi) east-southeast of Pineville, KY · earthquakes near Pineville
Kentucky today
every earthquake in Kentucky in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 2.1 (md)
Depth
28 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity I
Nearest
Bell County, 5 km WSW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 307 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 11 km (7 mi) from the epicentre. In Pineville, 6 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: Middlesboro, Harrogate, Barbourville, Harlan.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 46 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.1 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 330,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 230,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 21× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.1 about 46 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 36.7512, -83.6297. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Bell County, KY 5 km (3 mi) WSW earthquakes near Bell County
Knox County, KY 25 km (16 mi) NW earthquakes near Knox County
Claiborne County, TN 28 km (17 mi) S earthquakes near Claiborne County
Harlan County, KY 38 km (24 mi) ENE earthquakes near Harlan County
Leslie County, KY 43 km (27 mi) NNE earthquakes near Leslie County
Hancock County, TN 44 km (27 mi) SE earthquakes near Hancock County

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

Aftershocks so far

No further earthquakes have been recorded within 50 km since this one.

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.