QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.1md

Earthquake near Bryson City, NC

No earthquake was likely felt in Bryson City in the 24 hours to 9:16 am EST (14:16 UTC). The last one was M 2.1, 20 km (13 mi) SE, at 11:05 pm EDT on 4 July 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Bryson City

This page: a magnitude 2.1 earthquake was recorded 17 km (11 mi) west-northwest of Bryson City, NC, at 3:37 am EDT on 19 April 2024 (07:37 UTC), 3.6 km deep.

USGS: 16 km WNW of Bryson City, North Carolina

62 km (38 mi) SSE of Knoxville, TN

3:37 am EDT, Apr 19, 2024 · · 3.6 km deep · released about 47 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Swain County 17 kmGraham County 24 kmSevier County 35 kmBlount County 35 kmMacon County 41 kmClay County 49 kmJackson County 50 kmCherokee County 55 kmMonroe 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
3:37 am EDT on 19 April 2024 ()
Where
17 km (11 mi) west-northwest of Bryson City, NC · earthquakes near Bryson City
North Carolina today
every earthquake in North Carolina in the last 24 hours
Magnitude
M 2.1 (md)
Depth
3.6 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Swain County, 17 km ENE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 936 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 Bryson City, 17 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: Gatlinburg, Cherokee.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 47 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 5.8 320,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 230,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 20× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.1 about 47 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 35.4835, -83.6250. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Swain County, NC 17 km (11 mi) ENE earthquakes near Swain County
Graham County, NC 24 km (15 mi) SW earthquakes near Graham County
Sevier County, TN 35 km (22 mi) NNE earthquakes near Sevier County
Blount County, TN 35 km (22 mi) NW earthquakes near Blount County
Macon County, NC 41 km (26 mi) SSE earthquakes near Macon County
Clay County, NC 49 km (31 mi) SSW earthquakes near Clay 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. 2.1 7 km WNW of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
  2. 1.7 5 km SSW of Maryville, Tennessee
  3. 1.5 12 km SE of Greenback, Tennessee
  4. 2.1 10 km SSW of Dillsboro, North Carolina
  5. 2.0 3 km WSW of Alcoa, Tennessee
  6. 2.2 3 km WSW of Alcoa, Tennessee
  7. 2.2 10 km WNW of Lake Santeetlah, North Carolina
  8. 2.3 4 km N of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
  9. 1.8 8 km NNW of Bryson City, North Carolina
  10. 2.2 10 km W of Forest Hills, North Carolina
  11. 2.6 10 km SSW of Dillsboro, North Carolina
  12. 1.8 13 km SSE of Greenback, Tennessee
  13. 2.2 13 km SE of Greenback, Tennessee
  14. 2.0 21 km SE of Greenback, Tennessee
  15. 1.8 2 km WNW of Maryville, 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.