M2.9 Earthquake 3 km SSE of Sparta, North Carolina — August 11, 2020
2020-08-11 20:45:27 UTC (2020-08-11) · approx. 3:45 PM UTC-5 local
Felt by 181 people across surrounding communities.
On August 11, 2020 at 20:45 UTC, a magnitude 2.9 shallow crustal earthquake struck 3 km SSE of Sparta, North Carolina, at a depth of 3.1 km and coordinates 36.4722°, -81.1087°. This earthquake was detected by 25 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 196, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 2.9 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 304 kg of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 58 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 181 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
-81.1087°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 2.9 earthquake near Sparta, North Carolina?
The magnitude 2.9 earthquake that struck 3 km SSE of Sparta, North Carolina on August 11, 2020 at 20:45 UTC had a depth of 3.1 km. For context, this was a minor earthquake typically detected only by instruments.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 36.4722°, -81.1087°, which is 3 km SSE of Sparta, North Carolina.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 2.9 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: se60305067). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, August 11, 2020). M2.9 Earthquake 3 km SSE of Sparta, North Carolina — August 11, 2020. Retrieved November 20, 2020 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/se60305067/