M 5.1 earthquake – 4 km SE of Sparta, North Carolina
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Local time: Aug 9, 2020 · 08:07 (UTC-4)
ModerateShallow · 4.1 kmPAGER yellow
Reviewed by a seismologist
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- Magnitude
- 5.1moment magnitude (mw)
- Depth
- 4.1 kmShallow earthquake
- Epicenter
- 36.474, -81.08760 km from Boone
- Energy released
- 674 tons of TNTless than one Hiroshima bomb
- Felt reports
- 66,722"Did You Feel It?" responses
- Shaking intensity
- 7.2max. instrumental (MMI)
- Aftershocks
- 2M2.5+ within 30 km, up to 60 days
- Significance
- 1,290USGS score, 0–1,000+
The strongest here since 1916
The last earthquake at least as strong within 300 km struck on Feb 21, 1916.
How strong was it?
Moderate earthquake. It released 674 tons of TNT, 1.4 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0. Bars use the magnitude scale: every step is about 32 times more energy.
Aftershocks
2 earthquakes of M2.5+ within 30 km in the 60 days after.
The strongest earthquakes within 300 km
Since 1900, around United States.
- 5.2 Near Asheville, North Carolina Feb 21, 1916
- 4.7 1 km NE of Alcoa, Tennessee Nov 30, 1973
- 4.5 8 km ENE of Athens, West Virginia Nov 20, 1969
- 4.5 5 km S of Greeneville, Tennessee Nov 3, 1928
- 4.3 13 km NW of Raven, Virginia Nov 23, 2006
- 4.3 13 km NNW of Raven, Virginia Nov 2, 2006
- 4.2 6 km W of Blackey, Kentucky Nov 10, 2012
- 4.1 21 km SE of Greenback, Tennessee May 10, 2025
In the week before
Earthquakes within 30 km in the 7 days before this one: possible foreshocks.