QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.1md

Earthquake near Sevierville, TN

No earthquake was likely felt in Sevierville in the 24 hours to 10:32 am EST (15:32 UTC). The last one was M 2.1, 9 km (6 mi) SW, at 7:03 pm EST on 8 November 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Sevierville

This page: a magnitude 2.1 earthquake was recorded 29 km (18 mi) southeast of Sevierville, TN, at 6:48 pm EDT on 7 July 2023 (22:48 UTC), 4.8 km deep. 4 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 10 km SSE of Pittman Center, Tennessee

63 km (39 mi) ESE of Knoxville, TN

6:48 pm EDT, Jul 7, 2023 · · 4.8 km deep · released about 51 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Swain County 15 kmSevier County 20 kmCocke County 35 kmHaywood County 36 kmJefferson County 43 kmJackson County 47 kmBlount County 51 kmGraham County 56 kmMacon County 57 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
6:48 pm EDT on 7 July 2023 ()
Where
29 km (18 mi) southeast of Sevierville, TN · earthquakes near Sevierville
Magnitude
M 2.1 (md)
Depth
4.8 km below the surface
Felt
4 reports · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Swain County, 15 km SW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1213 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 30 km (19 mi) from the epicentre. In Sevierville, 29 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: Sevierville 29 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 51 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 5.8 300,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 210,000× 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 51 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 35.6662, -83.3547. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Swain County, NC 15 km (9 mi) SW earthquakes near Swain County
Sevier County, TN 20 km (13 mi) NW earthquakes near Sevier County
Cocke County, TN 35 km (22 mi) NE earthquakes near Cocke County
Haywood County, NC 36 km (22 mi) ESE earthquakes near Haywood County
Jefferson County, TN 43 km (27 mi) N earthquakes near Jefferson County
Jackson County, NC 47 km (29 mi) SSE earthquakes near Jackson County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.1 7 km WNW of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
  2. 2.0 7 km SSW of Canton, North Carolina
  3. 2.1 10 km SSW of Dillsboro, North Carolina
  4. 1.8 8 km SSE of Clyde, North Carolina
  5. 2.0 7 km SSE of Clyde, North Carolina
  6. 2.1 8 km S of West Canton, North Carolina
  7. 1.9 7 km SSE of Clyde, North Carolina
  8. 1.9 4 km N of West Canton, North Carolina
  9. 2.3 4 km N of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
  10. 1.8 8 km NNW of Bryson City, North Carolina
  11. 2.2 10 km W of Forest Hills, North Carolina
  12. 2.6 10 km SSW of Dillsboro, North Carolina
  13. 2.5 6 km SE of Seymour, Tennessee
  14. 2.3 11 km ESE of Mascot, Tennessee
  15. 2.0 8 km W of Seymour, 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.