QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.9ml

Earthquake near Lucerne Valley, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Lucerne Valley in the 24 hours to 7:06 am PST (15:06 UTC). The last one was M 2.6, 19 km (12 mi) SSE, at 1:40 am PDT on 6 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 18 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Lucerne Valley

This page: a magnitude 1.9 earthquake was recorded 15 km (9 mi) east-southeast of Lucerne Valley, CA, at 11:46 pm PST on 17 February 2019 (07:46 UTC), 7.5 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 15km ESE of Lucerne Valley, CA

75 km (46 mi) NE of Riverside, CA · 39 km (25 mi) ESE of Apple Valley, CA

11:46 pm PST, Feb 17, 2019 · · 7.5 km deep · released about 25 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N San Bernardino County 76 kmRiverside County 106 km
Distance rings around the epicentre, with the nearest towns at their true direction and later quakes as coloured dots. Not a shaking map — see the USGS ShakeMap for that.
When
11:46 pm PST on 17 February 2019 ()
Where
15 km (9 mi) east-southeast of Lucerne Valley, CA · earthquakes near Lucerne Valley
Magnitude
M 1.9 (ml)
Depth
7.5 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
San Bernardino County, 76 km NE
Nearest mapped fault
North Frontal thrust system, 3 km from its surface trace — near is not the same as on
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2822 days ago

This was a minor earthquake. Quakes this small are rarely felt and do not cause damage.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 13 km (8 mi) from the epicentre. In Lucerne Valley, 15 km away, the estimate is intensity II (weak). Estimated from magnitude, depth and distance with the intensity equation USGS Did You Feel It? uses; felt reports, where there are any, are the measurement.

Earthquakes near other towns within 30 km: Big Bear City, Big Bear Lake.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 25 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.0 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 600,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 420,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 38× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.9 about 25 lb of TNT

Energy from the Gutenberg–Richter relation (log10E = 1.5M + 4.8), rounded to two figures; bar length is magnitude, which is already a logarithm of energy. Magnitudes of past earthquakes from the USGS catalogue.

For this area

The largest earthquake within 50 km since 2016 was M 4.5 on 2018-05-08 — about 6,500 times the energy of this one.

Before 2016, the USGS record lists 26 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 7.3 The 1992 Landers, California Earthquake · 41 km ESE of this epicentre
  2. 6.3 The 1992 Big Bear, California Earthquake · 23 km S of this epicentre
  3. 6.0 The 1986 North Palm Springs, California Earthquake · 49 km SSE of this epicentre
  4. 5.8 3km NE of Yucca Valley, California · 48 km SE of this epicentre
  5. 5.6 7km ENE of Running Springs, CA · 28 km SW of this epicentre

Since 2016: the QuakeIndex catalogue (US, M1.5+), built from the USGS FDSN event service. Before 2016: USGS ComCat, M5+ from 1900. Distances are between epicentres. This is the record, not a forecast.

Where

Epicentre 34.4055, -116.8087. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
San Bernardino County, CA 76 km (47 mi) NE earthquakes near San Bernardino County
Riverside County, CA 106 km (66 mi) SE earthquakes near Riverside County
Orange County, CA 121 km (75 mi) SW earthquakes near Orange County

Places and coordinates from the US Census Bureau Gazetteer (2024). Distances are from the epicentre.

Aftershocks so far

33 earthquakes have been recorded within 50 km since this one.

  1. 1.6 15km NNE of Apple Valley, CA
  2. 1.6 1km SSE of Yucaipa, CA
  3. 1.7 10km NNE of Big Bear City, CA
  4. 1.7 10km NNE of Big Bear City, CA
  5. 1.9 11km NNE of Big Bear City, CA
  6. 1.8 36km NE of Lucerne Valley, CA
  7. 2.3 10km NNE of Big Bear City, CA
  8. 1.8 10km NNE of Big Bear City, CA
  9. 2.2 12km WSW of Morongo Valley, CA
  10. 1.6 5km NW of Big Bear City, CA
  11. 1.6 5km NW of Big Bear City, CA
  12. 1.8 9km N of Banning, CA
  13. 2.1 12km N of Big Bear City, CA
  14. 1.5 8km NNE of Beaumont, CA
  15. 2.5 8km NNE of Beaumont, CA

Counted from the QuakeIndex database, which ingests the USGS feed every 30 seconds · as of . QuakeIndex does not forecast aftershocks. When USGS issues an operational aftershock forecast it appears on the USGS event page.

On USGS

QuakeIndex does not issue warnings. For earthquake early warning see ShakeAlert.