QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.1md

Earthquake near Rutledge, TN

No earthquake was likely felt in Rutledge in the 24 hours to 5:07 am EST (10:07 UTC). The last one was M 2.3, in Rutledge, at 2:41 am EDT on 9 July 2026, estimated intensity III (weak) in town; 1 felt report to USGS. Every earthquake near Rutledge

This page: a magnitude 2.1 earthquake was recorded 10 km (6 mi) east-northeast of Rutledge, TN, at 1:53 am EDT on 29 October 2024 (05:53 UTC), 14 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 9 km ENE of Rutledge, Tennessee

61 km (38 mi) NE of Knoxville, TN

1:53 am EDT, Oct 29, 2024 · · 14 km deep · released about 51 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Grainger County 9 kmHamblen County 16 kmHancock County 29 kmJefferson County 29 kmClaiborne County 31 kmUnion County 38 kmHawkins County 46 kmLee County 50 kmCocke County 51 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
1:53 am EDT on 29 October 2024 ()
Where
10 km (6 mi) east-northeast of Rutledge, TN · earthquakes near Rutledge
Magnitude
M 2.1 (md)
Depth
14 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
Grainger County, 9 km WSW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 743 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 27 km (17 mi) from the epicentre. In Rutledge, 10 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: Bean Station, Morristown, Tazewell, Jefferson City, New Tazewell, White Pine.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 51 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 5.8 300,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 210,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 19× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.1 about 51 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 36.3087, -83.4110. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Grainger County, TN 9 km (6 mi) WSW earthquakes near Grainger County
Hamblen County, TN 16 km (10 mi) SE earthquakes near Hamblen County
Hancock County, TN 29 km (18 mi) NE earthquakes near Hancock County
Jefferson County, TN 29 km (18 mi) S earthquakes near Jefferson County
Claiborne County, TN 31 km (19 mi) NW earthquakes near Claiborne County
Union County, TN 38 km (24 mi) W earthquakes near Union County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.3 1 km W of Rutledge, Tennessee
  2. 2.0 4 km WNW of Mascot, Tennessee
  3. 1.9 3 km NW of Mascot, Tennessee
  4. 2.1 2 km S of Blaine, Tennessee
  5. 1.9 5 km NNW of Mascot, Tennessee
  6. 1.9 9 km WSW of Mascot, Tennessee
  7. 2.6 11 km SW of Middlesboro, Kentucky
  8. 2.3 11 km ESE of Mascot, Tennessee
  9. 2.3 16 km N of Maynardville, Tennessee
  10. 2.1 8 km ENE of Seymour, Tennessee
  11. 2.4 5 km NNE of Bean Station, Tennessee
  12. 2.4 5 km ENE of Harrogate, Tennessee
  13. 2.3 2 km ENE of Rutledge, 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.