QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.0md

Earthquake near Wildwood Lake, TN

No earthquake was likely felt in Wildwood Lake in the 24 hours to 6:15 am EST (11:15 UTC). The last one was M 2.3, 19 km (12 mi) NE, at 2:03 am EDT on 3 August 2025, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 6 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Wildwood Lake

This page: a magnitude 2.0 earthquake was recorded 15 km (10 mi) east-southeast of Wildwood Lake, TN, at 5:42 am EDT on 28 March 2024 (09:42 UTC), 7.1 km deep. 4 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 15 km ESE of Wildwood Lake, Tennessee

49 km (31 mi) E of Chattanooga, TN · 23 km (14 mi) SE of Cleveland, TN

5:42 am EDT, Mar 28, 2024 · · 7.1 km deep · released about 32 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Polk County 18 kmBradley County 20 kmMurray County 25 kmWhitfield County 34 kmFannin County 40 kmCatoosa County 41 kmGilmer County 43 kmMcMinn County 46 kmHamilton County 48 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
5:42 am EDT on 28 March 2024 ()
Where
15 km (10 mi) east-southeast of Wildwood Lake, TN · earthquakes near Wildwood Lake
Magnitude
M 2.0 (md)
Depth
7.1 km below the surface
Felt
4 reports · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Polk County, 18 km ENE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 893 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 24 km (15 mi) from the epicentre. In Wildwood Lake, 15 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: Benton, South Cleveland, East Cleveland, Cleveland, Varnell, Apison.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 32 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.0 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 470,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 330,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 30× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.0 about 32 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 35.0203, -84.7085. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Polk County, TN 18 km (11 mi) ENE earthquakes near Polk County
Bradley County, TN 20 km (13 mi) NW earthquakes near Bradley County
Murray County, GA 25 km (16 mi) S earthquakes near Murray County
Whitfield County, GA 34 km (21 mi) SW earthquakes near Whitfield County
Fannin County, GA 40 km (25 mi) ESE earthquakes near Fannin County
Catoosa County, GA 41 km (26 mi) WSW earthquakes near Catoosa County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.9 4 km ENE of Riceville, Tennessee
  2. 2.0 8 km SSE of Etowah, Tennessee
  3. 2.3 17 km SSW of Tellico Plains, Tennessee
  4. 2.4 18 km N of Ducktown, Tennessee
  5. 1.9 4 km W of Etowah, Tennessee
  6. 2.1 7 km ESE of Benton, Tennessee
  7. 2.0 8 km E of Benton, Tennessee
  8. 2.0 6 km WSW of Riceville, Tennessee
  9. 2.4 5 km E of Etowah, Tennessee
  10. 1.8 11 km S of Tellico Plains, Tennessee
  11. 2.1 3 km SW of Varnell, Georgia
  12. 2.0 14 km SE of Etowah, Tennessee
  13. 1.9 7 km ENE of Etowah, Tennessee
  14. 1.9 7 km ENE of Etowah, Tennessee
  15. 1.9 5 km SSW of Riceville, 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.