QuakeIndex

Fault · Nevada

Northern Virginia Range fault

12 kmlong (7 mi), as mapped
< 0.2 mm/yrhow fast it slips
< 15,000 yearssince it last broke the surface
3quakes of M2.5+ within 10 km since 2016

In plain English

The two sides move less than 0.2 mm a year — under 2 cm a century. Slow faults can still produce large earthquakes, just rarely.

Its most recent surface rupture is younger than 15,000 years.

The largest earthquake recorded near it was M 6.5 in 1860 (East of Reno, Nevada) — about 180,000 times the energy of an M3.0, the size people start to feel. It released about 85 kilotons of TNT.

This week vs. its last ten years

0/100

quiet

0 quakes of M1.5+ within 5 km of the trace in the last 7 days — busier than 0% of weeks since 2016. A normal week: 0–0.

Computed from the USGS catalogue · a description of the past, not a forecast · method

San Andreas faultGreat Valley thrust fault systemFoothills fault systemWassuk Range faultHoney Lake faultSmith Valley faultMohawk Valley faultCarson lineamentWarm Springs Valley faultTahoe-Sierra frontal faultWest Tahoe-Dollar Point faultPyramid Lake faultUpper Long Valley faultEast Carson Valley faultHot Springs Mountains faultMount Rose faultDog Valley faultPolaris faultNorth Tahoe faultSagouse faultGenoa faultSpanish Springs Valley faultIncline Village faultOlinghouse faultFort Sage faultLittle Valley faultCarson City faultKings Canyon faultPeavine Peak fault M 6.5 · 1860 · East of Reno, Nevada M 6.4 · 1869 · Northwest of Virginia City, Nevada M 6.4 · 1914 · Near Fernley, Nevada M 6.0 · 1868 · Near Virginia City, Nevada M 6.0 · 1914 · Near Reno, Nevada
The Northern Virginia Range fault as mapped at the surface (glowing), with the other mapped faults nearby, 3 of the M2.5+ earthquakes within 10 km of it since 2016 (dots), and the epicentres of the large historic earthquakes recorded near it (rings). Traces: USGS Quaternary Fault and Fold Database. Historic epicentres are estimates.

Every year since 2016

Earthquakes of M2.5+ with an epicentre within 10 km of the mapped trace. Near is not the same as on: some will have slipped on neighbouring faults.

The big ones recorded near it

  1. M 6.5 East of Reno, Nevada
    March 15, 1860 · epicentre 11 km from the trace
  2. M 6.4 Northwest of Virginia City, Nevada
    December 27, 1869 · epicentre 11 km from the trace
  3. M 6.4 Near Fernley, Nevada
    April 24, 1914 · epicentre 24 km from the trace
  4. M 6.0 Near Virginia City, Nevada
    May 30, 1868 · epicentre 21 km from the trace
  5. M 6.0 Near Reno, Nevada
    February 18, 1914 · epicentre 14 km from the trace

Before 1973 from the USGS ComCat historical catalogue (within 25 km; epicentres of old earthquakes are estimates). Since 2016, M4+ within 10 km.

Most recent near it

  1. M 3.2 11 km NNW of Virginia City, Nevada
    2024-03-09 · 10 km from the trace
  2. M 3.2 11 km NNW of Virginia City, Nevada
    2024-03-06 · 10 km from the trace
  3. M 2.5 11 km NNW of Virginia City, Nevada
    2024-01-26 · 10 km from the trace

Neighbouring faults

Fault trace, slip rate and age: USGS Quaternary Fault and Fold Database (public domain), simplified for the web. Earthquakes: USGS ComCat. QuakeIndex does not forecast earthquakes; a fault's history describes the past. For early warning use ShakeAlert.