QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.1md

Earthquake near Dunlap, TN

No earthquake was likely felt in Dunlap in the 24 hours to 8:39 am CST (14:39 UTC). The last one was M 2.5, 23 km (14 mi) NW, at 7:54 am CST on 2 November 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 3 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Dunlap

This page: a magnitude 2.1 earthquake was recorded 8 km (5 mi) south-southwest of Dunlap, TN, at 5:05 am CDT on 6 October 2026 (10:05 UTC), 21 km deep.

USGS: 7 km SSW of Dunlap, Tennessee

30 km (19 mi) NNW of Chattanooga, TN

5:05 am CDT, Oct 6, 2026 · · 21 km deep · released about 49 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Sequatchie County 8 kmHamilton County 25 kmMarion County 26 kmGrundy County 29 kmBledsoe County 37 kmVan Buren County 44 kmDade County 51 kmCatoosa County 51 kmBradley 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
5:05 am CDT on 6 October 2026 ()
Where
8 km (5 mi) south-southwest of Dunlap, TN · earthquakes near Dunlap
Magnitude
M 2.1 (md)
Depth
21 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Sequatchie County, 8 km N
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 36 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 22 km (14 mi) from the epicentre. In Dunlap, 8 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: Lone Oak, Powells Crossroads, Whitwell, Fairmount, Mowbray Mountain, Falling Water.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 49 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 5.8 310,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 220,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 19× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.1 about 49 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 35.3030, -85.4117. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Sequatchie County, TN 8 km (5 mi) N earthquakes near Sequatchie County
Hamilton County, TN 25 km (15 mi) SE earthquakes near Hamilton County
Marion County, TN 26 km (16 mi) SW earthquakes near Marion County
Grundy County, TN 29 km (18 mi) WNW earthquakes near Grundy County
Bledsoe County, TN 37 km (23 mi) NNE earthquakes near Bledsoe County
Van Buren County, TN 44 km (28 mi) N earthquakes near Van Buren County

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

Aftershocks so far

1 earthquake has been recorded within 50 km since this one.

  1. 2.5 13 km NE of Beersheba Springs, 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.