QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.3md

Earthquake near Dalton, GA

No earthquake was likely felt in Dalton in the 24 hours to 5:07 am EST (10:07 UTC). The last one was M 2.4, 19 km (12 mi) SSW, at 4:54 am EDT on 22 August 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 1 felt report to USGS. Every earthquake near Dalton

This page: a magnitude 2.3 earthquake was recorded 18 km (11 mi) south-southwest of Dalton, GA, at 12:25 am EDT on 9 May 2024 (04:25 UTC), 9.3 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 10 km WNW of Resaca, Georgia

53 km (33 mi) SSE of Chattanooga, TN · 111 km (69 mi) NNW of Atlanta, GA

12:25 am EDT, May 9, 2024 · · 9.3 km deep · released about 94 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Gordon County 20 kmWhitfield County 21 kmWalker County 27 kmChattooga County 32 kmCatoosa County 32 kmMurray County 34 kmFloyd County 43 kmBartow County 47 kmDade County 49 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
12:25 am EDT on 9 May 2024 ()
Where
18 km (11 mi) south-southwest of Dalton, GA · earthquakes near Dalton
Magnitude
M 2.3 (md)
Depth
9.3 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Gordon County, 20 km SE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 844 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 Dalton, 18 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: Calhoun, LaFayette, Trion.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 94 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 5.8 160,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 110,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 10× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.3 about 94 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 34.6215, -85.0487. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Gordon County, GA 20 km (13 mi) SE earthquakes near Gordon County
Whitfield County, GA 21 km (13 mi) NNE earthquakes near Whitfield County
Walker County, GA 27 km (17 mi) WNW earthquakes near Walker County
Chattooga County, GA 32 km (20 mi) WSW earthquakes near Chattooga County
Catoosa County, GA 32 km (20 mi) NNW earthquakes near Catoosa County
Murray County, GA 34 km (21 mi) NE earthquakes near Murray County

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

Aftershocks so far

28 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. 1.9 9 km NNW of Eton, Georgia
  11. 2.1 3 km ENE of Cohutta, Georgia
  12. 2.4 4 km NW of Cohutta, Georgia
  13. 2.2 6 km WNW of Linwood, Georgia
  14. 2.1 5 km E of Trion, Georgia
  15. 2.2 8 km N of Menlo, 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.