QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.3md

Earthquake near Chattanooga, TN

No earthquake was likely felt in Chattanooga in the 24 hours to 8:34 am EST (13:34 UTC). The last one was M 2.1, 27 km (17 mi) SSW, at 8:18 pm EDT on 16 June 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Chattanooga

This page: a magnitude 2.3 earthquake was recorded 29 km (18 mi) south-southeast of Chattanooga, TN, at 5:58 pm EDT on 6 August 2023 (21:58 UTC), 5.0 km deep.

USGS: 8 km W of Tunnel Hill, Georgia

28 km (17 mi) SSE of Chattanooga, TN

5:58 pm EDT, Aug 6, 2023 · · 5.0 km deep · released about 85 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Catoosa County 8 kmWhitfield County 16 kmWalker County 18 kmDade County 34 kmMurray County 37 kmHamilton County 38 kmGordon County 43 kmChattooga County 44 kmBradley County 44 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
5:58 pm EDT on 6 August 2023 ()
Where
29 km (18 mi) south-southeast of Chattanooga, TN · earthquakes near Chattanooga
Magnitude
M 2.3 (md)
Depth
5.0 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Catoosa County, 8 km N
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1192 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 37 km (23 mi) from the epicentre. In Chattanooga, 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.

Earthquakes near other towns within 30 km: Ringgold, Chickamauga, Dalton, Fort Oglethorpe, Varnell, Fairview.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 85 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.3 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 180,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 130,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 11× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.3 about 85 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 34.8298, -85.1400. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Catoosa County, GA 8 km (5 mi) N earthquakes near Catoosa County
Whitfield County, GA 16 km (10 mi) E earthquakes near Whitfield County
Walker County, GA 18 km (11 mi) SW earthquakes near Walker County
Dade County, GA 34 km (21 mi) W earthquakes near Dade County
Murray County, GA 37 km (23 mi) E earthquakes near Murray County
Hamilton County, TN 38 km (23 mi) N earthquakes near Hamilton County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.0 3 km SW of LaFayette, Georgia
  2. 2.0 14 km ENE of Mentone, Alabama
  3. 2.1 1 km NW of Trion, Georgia
  4. 2.4 10 km WNW of Resaca, Georgia
  5. 2.1 11 km ESE of Trenton, Georgia
  6. 2.1 3 km SW of Varnell, Georgia
  7. 2.4 4 km SW of LaFayette, Georgia
  8. 1.7 6 km W of Linwood, Georgia
  9. 2.3 6 km WSW of Linwood, Georgia
  10. 2.0 4 km NNE of Trenton, Georgia
  11. 1.9 9 km NNW of Eton, Georgia
  12. 2.3 3 km S of Lone Oak, Tennessee
  13. 2.1 3 km ENE of Cohutta, Georgia
  14. 2.4 4 km NW of Cohutta, Georgia
  15. 2.2 6 km WNW of Linwood, Georgia

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.