UPDATE (10:30 p.m.): There are now conflicting reports into the cause of multiple booms and shaking in Blount County.
The U.S. Geological Survey formerly reported that a 2.1 magnitude earthquake struck near Friendsville and Maryville. However, as of 8 p.m. Friday the USGS had updated its reporting saying it was instead a 1.9 magnitude quarry blast 1 km southwest of Maryville.
The USGS told 10News it had made that determination later after the Center for Earthquake Research and Information at the University of Memphis investigated. The USGS couldn't provide specifics about where the blast originated or how precisely it had come to the conclusion it was a quarry blast, saying the tremors originated about 3 kilometers southeast of the where the epicenter was originally reported.
A local quarry outright refuted the USGS's reassessment of the tremors, saying there is no way it was a quarry blast.
Carl Van Hoozier, the manager of community relations and governmental affairs for Vulcan Materials Company in Blount County, said their quarry had not pulled off any blasts, or shots, on Friday.
"We absolutely did not pull a shot of any sort today," he told 10News.
He said even if the quarry had pulled a shot, it would not have been strong enough to register as an earthquake or be heard and felt as far as the booms were because they are small and controlled.
The statement the City of Maryville had issued earlier in the day backed up Vulcan's response, saying the city had "not found any visible evidence of a surface blast and we can confirm it was not a result of a quarry blast."
City of Maryville officials also said the tremors registered on a seismograph at Vulcan Quarry.
Hundreds of people reported feeling the tremors and hearing the booms Friday.
Maryville City Schools Director of Communications Sharon Anglim said students felt the booms. They checked around the schools and brought children outside, but did not find anything.
Anglim sent an email to parents and guardians of students at Maryville High School and Sam Houston Elementary that said all students are safe and the schools are in communication with state and local authorities as a cause of the booms is determined.
Maryville Junior High School also sent out a similar statement.
UPDATE (2:55 p.m.): The City of Maryville released a statement Friday afternoon that said they "have not found any visible evidence of a surface blast and we can confirm it was not a result of a quarry blast."
The release also said that while local seismographs indicated a possible earthquake, the city did not know for sure the cause of the event.
It said officials from the US Geological Survey would need to make that determination and the city expected to receive communication form the Emergency Management staff when the cause is determined.
UPDATE (2:30 p.m.): The shaking Friday afternoon in the Maryville area registered as about a "3 or so" on a seismograph, Benjamin Vananda, the manager of family-owned Tuckaleechee Caverns, said.
City of Maryville officials also said it registered on a seismograph at Vulcan Quarry.
The Maryville Police Department hasn't seen any visible evidence of the seismic event or obvious damage, city officials said.
Officials with the Air National Guard Base at McGhee Tyson Airport said they had heard the booms but were not doing any activity that would have caused it.
ORIGINAL STORY: People in and around Maryville reported more mysterious big booms and shakes Friday afternoon around 1 and then again at 1:30 p.m.
The USGS did not report any earthquakes in the area.
Maryville police officers are out exploring the area to see what might be causing the booms, according to Maryville Police Department Captain Sharon Moore.
Officers said they felt it in their building while at roll call around 1 p.m. and that dispatch also said explosions were reported at 1:04 p.m.
They don't know what it is, but did get one report of dishes falling out as a result.
"It's pretty strong," Moore said. "We don't know where it came from."
The blast was felt in the Ray Avenue, Sterling, Lennox and Seven Circle areas, according to police.
The booms were felt by the Blount County Sheriff's Office as well.
"We did feel it," Marian O'Briant, the public information officer for the Blount County Sheriff's Office, wrote in an email. "It shook the whole Justice Center. We aren't sure what it is. We do have some deputies out trying to figure out the source, but so far no news."
The City of Maryville spokeswoman Jane Groff said they were getting calls as well, but they don't know what the booms are from. The city is checking in to it.
Maryville City Schools Director of Communications Sharon Anglim said students felt the booms. They checked around the schools and brought children outside, but did not find anything.
Anglim sent an email to parents and guardians of students at Maryville High School and Sam Houston Elementary that said all students are safe and the schools are in communication with state and local authorities as a cause of the booms is determined.
Maryville Junior High School also sent out a similar statement.
Maryville College officials also acknowledged that they felt shaking from the mysterious booms.
We have a reporter currently looking in to the latest series of booms in the area. If you have any information or pictures of damaged caused by the booms, please send it to newstips@wbir.com. We will update this story as we receive more information.