QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.8md

Earthquake near Apison, TN

No earthquake was likely felt in Apison in the 24 hours to 9:10 am EST (14:10 UTC). The last one was M 2.1, 16 km (10 mi) S, at 3:35 pm EDT on 16 March 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Apison

This page: a magnitude 1.8 earthquake was recorded 4 km (3 mi) southeast of Apison, TN, at 1:49 pm EST on 16 January 2025 (18:49 UTC), 2.8 km deep.

USGS: 4 km SE of Apison, Tennessee

25 km (15 mi) ESE of Chattanooga, TN · 23 km (14 mi) SSW of Cleveland, TN

1:49 pm EST, Jan 16, 2025 · · 2.8 km deep · released about 13 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Catoosa County 17 kmBradley County 21 kmWhitfield County 22 kmHamilton County 27 kmMurray County 32 kmWalker County 41 kmPolk County 43 kmDade County 50 kmGordon County 55 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
1:49 pm EST on 16 January 2025 ()
Where
4 km (3 mi) southeast of Apison, TN · earthquakes near Apison
Magnitude
M 1.8 (md)
Depth
2.8 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Catoosa County, 17 km SW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 659 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 14 km (9 mi) from the epicentre. In Apison, 4 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: Collegedale, Varnell, Ringgold, East Brainerd, South Cleveland, Wildwood Lake.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 13 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.8 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 1,200,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 840,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 75× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.8 about 13 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 34.9972, -84.9895. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Catoosa County, GA 17 km (11 mi) SW earthquakes near Catoosa County
Bradley County, TN 21 km (13 mi) NE earthquakes near Bradley County
Whitfield County, GA 22 km (14 mi) S earthquakes near Whitfield County
Hamilton County, TN 27 km (17 mi) NW earthquakes near Hamilton County
Murray County, GA 32 km (20 mi) SE earthquakes near Murray County
Walker County, GA 41 km (25 mi) SW earthquakes near Walker County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.0 3 km SW of LaFayette, Georgia
  2. 2.4 10 km WNW of Resaca, Georgia
  3. 2.1 7 km ESE of Benton, Tennessee
  4. 2.0 8 km E of Benton, Tennessee
  5. 2.0 6 km WSW of Riceville, Tennessee
  6. 2.1 11 km ESE of Trenton, Georgia
  7. 2.1 3 km SW of Varnell, Georgia
  8. 1.9 5 km SSW of Riceville, Tennessee
  9. 2.4 4 km SW of LaFayette, Georgia
  10. 1.9 8 km WSW of Etowah, Tennessee
  11. 1.8 6 km WSW of Etowah, Tennessee
  12. 1.7 6 km W of Linwood, Georgia
  13. 2.3 6 km WSW of Linwood, Georgia
  14. 2.0 4 km NNE of Trenton, Georgia
  15. 1.9 9 km NNW of Eton, 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.