M2.3 Earthquake 6 km SE of Sparta, North Carolina — April 21, 2021
2021-04-21 19:24:39 UTC (2021-04-21) · approx. 2:24 PM UTC-5 local
Felt by 35 people across nearby locations.
On April 21, 2021 at 19:24 UTC, a magnitude 2.3 shallow crustal earthquake struck 6 km SE of Sparta, North Carolina, at a depth of 0.1 km and coordinates 36.4637°, -81.0668°. This earthquake was detected by 20 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 93, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 2.3 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 42.5 kg of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 23 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 35 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Earthquake Details
-81.0668°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 2.3 earthquake near Sparta, North Carolina?
The magnitude 2.3 earthquake that struck 6 km SE of Sparta, North Carolina on April 21, 2021 at 19:24 UTC had a depth of 0.1 km. For context, this was a minor earthquake typically detected only by instruments.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 36.4637°, -81.0668°, which is 6 km SE of Sparta, North Carolina.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 2.3 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: se60126623). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, April 21, 2021). M2.3 Earthquake 6 km SE of Sparta, North Carolina — April 21, 2021. Retrieved July 3, 2021 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/se60126623/