QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.4md

Earthquake near Etowah, TN

No earthquake was likely felt in Etowah in the 24 hours to 10:31 am EST (15:31 UTC). The last one was M 1.9, 14 km (9 mi) NW, at 6:30 am EDT on 31 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Etowah

This page: a magnitude 2.4 earthquake was recorded in Etowah, TN, at 6:08 am EDT on 24 August 2023 (10:08 UTC), 9.1 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 1 km SE of Etowah, Tennessee

72 km (45 mi) ENE of Chattanooga, TN · 36 km (22 mi) ENE of Cleveland, TN

6:08 am EDT, Aug 24, 2023 · · 9.1 km deep · released about 110 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N McMinn County 16 kmPolk County 22 kmMonroe County 28 kmMeigs County 36 kmBradley County 36 kmCherokee County 45 kmLoudon County 51 kmRhea County 51 kmFannin County 52 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
6:08 am EDT on 24 August 2023 ()
Where
in Etowah, TN · earthquakes near Etowah
Magnitude
M 2.4 (md)
Depth
9.1 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
McMinn County, 16 km NW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1028 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 40 km (25 mi) from the epicentre. 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 17 km, intensity II · Decatur 34 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 110 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.4 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 130,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 95,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 8.5× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.4 about 110 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 1,100 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 35.3093, -84.5128. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
McMinn County, TN 16 km (10 mi) NW earthquakes near McMinn County
Polk County, TN 22 km (14 mi) S earthquakes near Polk County
Monroe County, TN 28 km (18 mi) ENE earthquakes near Monroe County
Meigs County, TN 36 km (22 mi) NW earthquakes near Meigs County
Bradley County, TN 36 km (22 mi) WSW earthquakes near Bradley County
Cherokee County, NC 45 km (28 mi) ESE earthquakes near Cherokee County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.9 9 km NNE of Tellico Plains, Tennessee
  2. 1.9 5 km ESE of Benton, Tennessee
  3. 2.1 16 km SE of Vonore, Tennessee
  4. 2.2 4 km N of Englewood, Tennessee
  5. 2.0 6 km ENE of Etowah, Tennessee
  6. 1.7 4 km ENE of Niota, Tennessee
  7. 2.1 3 km ENE of Niota, Tennessee
  8. 1.6 16 km SE of Vonore, Tennessee
  9. 1.8 4 km SSW of Tellico Village, Tennessee
  10. 1.9 1 km WNW of Tellico Village, Tennessee
  11. 2.3 1 km NW of Niota, Tennessee
  12. 2.0 4 km SSW of Benton, Tennessee
  13. 1.8 5 km NNE of Niota, Tennessee
  14. 2.0 5 km S of Englewood, Tennessee
  15. 2.4 9 km NE of Eton, 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.