QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.1ml

Earthquake near Lone Pine, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Lone Pine in the 24 hours to 6:27 am PST (14:27 UTC). The last one was M 2.2, 16 km (10 mi) SE, at 9:24 pm PDT on 29 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Lone Pine

This page: a magnitude 2.1 earthquake was recorded 18 km (11 mi) east of Lone Pine, CA, at 1:18 pm PST on 16 November 2016 (21:18 UTC), less than 1 km deep. 2 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 20km ENE of Lone Pine, CA

1:18 pm PST, Nov 16, 2016 · · -0.1 km deep · released about 38 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Inyo County 42 kmTulare County 94 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
1:18 pm PST on 16 November 2016 ()
Where
18 km (11 mi) east of Lone Pine, CA · earthquakes near Lone Pine
Magnitude
M 2.1 (ml)
Depth
-0.1 km below the surface
Felt
2 reports · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Inyo County, 42 km E
Nearest mapped fault
Hunter Mountain- Saline Valley fault, 4 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 3055 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 17 km (11 mi) from the epicentre. In Lone Pine, 18 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.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 38 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.1 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 390,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 280,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 25× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.1 about 38 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

No earthquake of M4 or more has been recorded within 50 km since our catalogue begins in 2016.

Before 2016, the USGS record lists 3 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km:

  1. 5.5 10 km N of Independence, California · 42 km NW of this epicentre
  2. 5.2 18km NE of Olancha, CA · 27 km S of this epicentre
  3. 5.0 18km NE of Olancha, CA · 27 km S 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 36.6352, -117.8605. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Inyo County, CA 42 km (26 mi) E earthquakes near Inyo County
Tulare County, CA 94 km (58 mi) WSW earthquakes near Tulare County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.2 33 km ENE of Independence, California
  2. 1.9 23 km NE of Independence, California
  3. 2.1 17km NE of Olancha, CA
  4. 1.5 18km NE of Olancha, CA
  5. 2.1 17km NE of Olancha, CA
  6. 1.8 12 km NNW of Independence, California
  7. 1.7 4km E of Lone Pine, CA
  8. 1.9 63 km NNE of Keeler, California
  9. 1.9 53km ENE of Independence, CA
  10. 1.9 20km ESE of Lone Pine, CA
  11. 2.2 20km ESE of Lone Pine, CA
  12. 2.5 20km ESE of Lone Pine, CA
  13. 1.7 10km N of Olancha, CA
  14. 2.2 33km ESE of Big Pine, CA
  15. 1.8 13km N of Olancha, 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.