Earthquake reported east of Great Smoky Mountains in North Carolina, geologists say

An earthquake was recorded early Friday in a sparsely populated area of the North Carolina mountains, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The quake happened around 9:34 a.m. and measured a magnitude of 2.1, the USGS says.

It was centered about 4 miles deep, in an area 10 miles southwest of the unincorporated Cove Creek community. That’s about 20 miles northwest of Asheville, the USGS says.

An earthquake of 2.5 or less is often missed by people, according to experts at Michigan Tech. It’s when the magnitude surpasses 2.5 that shaking can be felt and damage might occur, experts say.

It’s the second time in four weeks that a quake has been reported along the North Carolina-Tennessee border.

On Nov. 12, a 2.4 magnitude earthquake occurred inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 1 mile east of Mount Le Conte. The region around the park has up to three minor earthquakes annually, the National Park Service says.

Cove Creek is about 60 miles southwest of Sparta, North Carolina, which had a 5.1 magnitude earthquake on Aug. 9. It was the largest earthquake in the state since 1916 and damaged 525 buildings in the town, including 60 that sustained “major damage,” McClatchy News reported.