QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.5md

Earthquake near Sevierville, TN

No earthquake was likely felt in Sevierville in the 24 hours to 8:49 pm EST (01:49 UTC). The last one was M 2.1, 9 km (6 mi) SW, at 7:03 pm EST on 8 November 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Sevierville

This page: a magnitude 2.5 earthquake was recorded 4 km (3 mi) south-southeast of Sevierville, TN, at 10:12 am EDT on 5 August 2024 (14:12 UTC), 17 km deep. 26 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 4 km SSE of Sevierville, Tennessee

40 km (25 mi) ESE of Knoxville, TN

10:12 am EDT, Aug 5, 2024 · · 17 km deep · released about 180 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Sevier County 5 kmJefferson County 26 kmSwain County 30 kmBlount County 38 kmCocke County 39 kmKnox County 40 kmGrainger County 50 kmHamblen County 50 kmUnion 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
10:12 am EDT on 5 August 2024 ()
Where
4 km (3 mi) south-southeast of Sevierville, TN · earthquakes near Sevierville
Magnitude
M 2.5 (md)
Depth
17 km below the surface
Felt
26 reports · strongest reported intensity IV
Nearest
Sevier County, 5 km SSE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 550 days ago

This was a small earthquake. Shaking like this is often felt indoors nearby and very rarely causes damage.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 43 km (27 mi) from the epicentre. In Sevierville, 4 km away, the estimate is intensity III (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.

Likely felt in: Sevierville 4 km, intensity III · Seymour 18 km, intensity II · Mascot 31 km, intensity II · Knoxville 37 km, intensity II · Maryville 39 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 180 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.5 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 86,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 61,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 5.4× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.5 about 180 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 35.8322, -83.5435. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Sevier County, TN 5 km (3 mi) SSE earthquakes near Sevier County
Jefferson County, TN 26 km (16 mi) NNE earthquakes near Jefferson County
Swain County, NC 30 km (19 mi) SSE earthquakes near Swain County
Blount County, TN 38 km (23 mi) WSW earthquakes near Blount County
Cocke County, TN 39 km (24 mi) ENE earthquakes near Cocke County
Knox County, TN 40 km (25 mi) WNW earthquakes near Knox County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.1 7 km WNW of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
  2. 2.1 6 km NNE of Rockford, Tennessee
  3. 1.7 5 km SSW of Maryville, Tennessee
  4. 2.3 1 km W of Rutledge, Tennessee
  5. 2.0 4 km WNW of Mascot, Tennessee
  6. 1.9 3 km NW of Mascot, Tennessee
  7. 1.7 4 km NE of Louisville, Tennessee
  8. 2.0 3 km WSW of Alcoa, Tennessee
  9. 2.2 3 km WSW of Alcoa, Tennessee
  10. 2.3 4 km N of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
  11. 1.8 8 km NNW of Bryson City, North Carolina
  12. 2.1 2 km S of Blaine, Tennessee
  13. 2.1 7 km SE of Knoxville, Tennessee
  14. 1.9 5 km NNW of Mascot, Tennessee
  15. 1.9 9 km WSW of Mascot, 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.