QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.9md

Earthquake near Mascot, TN

No earthquake was likely felt in Mascot in the 24 hours to 3:27 pm EST (20:27 UTC). The last one was M 2.0, 5 km (3 mi) WNW, at 5:49 am EDT on 6 July 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Mascot

This page: a magnitude 1.9 earthquake was recorded 9 km (6 mi) west-southwest of Mascot, TN, at 5:16 pm EST on 15 January 2026 (22:16 UTC), 15 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 9 km WSW of Mascot, Tennessee

12 km (7 mi) ENE of Knoxville, TN

5:16 pm EST, Jan 15, 2026 · · 15 km deep · released about 21 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Knox County 10 kmUnion County 29 kmAnderson County 34 kmJefferson County 36 kmBlount County 38 kmSevier County 38 kmGrainger County 41 kmCampbell County 51 kmLoudon 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
5:16 pm EST on 15 January 2026 ()
Where
9 km (6 mi) west-southwest of Mascot, TN · earthquakes near Mascot
Magnitude
M 1.9 (md)
Depth
15 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
Knox County, 10 km WSW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 296 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 14 km (9 mi) from the epicentre. In Mascot, 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.

Likely felt in: Mascot 9 km, intensity II · Knoxville 10 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 21 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 5.8 730,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 520,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 46× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.9 about 21 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 36.0208, -83.8365. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Knox County, TN 10 km (6 mi) WSW earthquakes near Knox County
Union County, TN 29 km (18 mi) N earthquakes near Union County
Anderson County, TN 34 km (21 mi) WNW earthquakes near Anderson County
Jefferson County, TN 36 km (22 mi) E earthquakes near Jefferson County
Blount County, TN 38 km (23 mi) SSW earthquakes near Blount County
Sevier County, TN 38 km (24 mi) SE earthquakes near Sevier County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.1 7 km WNW of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
  2. 2.1 6 km NNE of Rockford, Tennessee
  3. 1.7 5 km SSW of Maryville, Tennessee
  4. 2.1 5 km NNE of Greenback, Tennessee
  5. 2.2 9 km S of Oak Ridge, Tennessee
  6. 2.3 1 km W of Rutledge, Tennessee
  7. 2.0 4 km WNW of Mascot, Tennessee
  8. 1.9 3 km NW of Mascot, Tennessee
  9. 1.8 0 km SE of Farragut, Tennessee
  10. 2.3 1 km S of Friendsville, Tennessee
  11. 1.8 5 km SSE of Friendsville, Tennessee
  12. 2.4 5 km SSE of Friendsville, Tennessee
  13. 1.7 4 km NE of Louisville, Tennessee
  14. 2.0 3 km WSW of Alcoa, Tennessee
  15. 2.2 3 km WSW of Alcoa, 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.