QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.1md

Earthquake near Athens, TN

No earthquake was likely felt in Athens in the 24 hours to 3:03 pm EST (20:03 UTC). The last one was M 1.9, 7 km (4 mi) SW, at 6:30 am EDT on 31 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Athens

This page: a magnitude 2.1 earthquake was recorded 9 km (5 mi) north-northeast of Athens, TN, at 8:40 pm EDT on 20 April 2023 (00:40 UTC), 16 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 2 km WNW of Niota, Tennessee

75 km (47 mi) SW of Knoxville, TN · 46 km (29 mi) NE of Cleveland, TN

8:40 pm EDT, Apr 20, 2023 · · 16 km deep · released about 40 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Athens Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N McMinn County 11 kmMeigs County 22 kmMonroe County 30 kmLoudon County 33 kmRhea County 35 kmRoane County 37 kmPolk County 46 kmBradley County 48 kmBledsoe County 58 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
8:40 pm EDT on 20 April 2023 ()
Where
9 km (5 mi) north-northeast of Athens, TN · earthquakes near Athens
Magnitude
M 2.1 (md)
Depth
16 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
McMinn County, 11 km SSW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1298 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 Athens, 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: Athens 9 km, intensity II · Decatur 20 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 40 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 5.8 380,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 270,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 24× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.1 about 40 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

The largest earthquake within 50 km since 2016 was M 4.4 on 2018-12-12 — about 3,000 times the energy of this one.

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 35.5180, -84.5705. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
McMinn County, TN 11 km (7 mi) SSW earthquakes near McMinn County
Meigs County, TN 22 km (14 mi) W earthquakes near Meigs County
Monroe County, TN 30 km (19 mi) ESE earthquakes near Monroe County
Loudon County, TN 33 km (21 mi) NE earthquakes near Loudon County
Rhea County, TN 35 km (22 mi) WNW earthquakes near Rhea County
Roane County, TN 37 km (23 mi) N earthquakes near Roane County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.7 4 km ENE of Niota, Tennessee
  2. 2.1 3 km ENE of Niota, Tennessee
  3. 1.6 9 km SW of Spring City, Tennessee
  4. 1.7 6 km SSE of Friendsville, Tennessee
  5. 1.6 16 km SE of Vonore, Tennessee
  6. 1.8 4 km SSW of Tellico Village, Tennessee
  7. 1.9 1 km WNW of Tellico Village, Tennessee
  8. 2.3 1 km NW of Niota, Tennessee
  9. 2.0 4 km SSW of Benton, Tennessee
  10. 1.8 5 km NNE of Niota, Tennessee
  11. 2.0 5 km S of Englewood, Tennessee
  12. 1.7 2 km SSE of Philadelphia, Tennessee
  13. 1.9 3 km N of Madisonville, Tennessee
  14. 1.8 11 km SW of Tellico Plains, Tennessee
  15. 1.6 7 km W of Tellico Plains, 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.