QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.1ml

Earthquake near Morongo Valley, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Morongo Valley in the 24 hours to 6:07 pm PST (02:07 UTC). The last one was M 3.6, 72 km (44 mi) S, at 12:31 am PDT on 19 August 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 165 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Morongo Valley

This page: a magnitude 2.1 earthquake was recorded 14 km (8 mi) northwest of Morongo Valley, CA, at 6:32 pm PST on 24 November 2016 (02:32 UTC), 4.2 km deep. 2 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 14km NW of Morongo Valley, CA

68 km (42 mi) ENE of Riverside, CA · 34 km (21 mi) ENE of Yucaipa, CA

6:32 pm PST, Nov 24, 2016 · · 4.2 km deep · released about 51 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Morongo Valley Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Riverside County 78 kmSan Bernardino County 94 kmOrange County 112 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
6:32 pm PST on 24 November 2016 ()
Where
14 km (8 mi) northwest of Morongo Valley, CA · earthquakes near Morongo Valley
Magnitude
M 2.1 (ml)
Depth
4.2 km below the surface
Felt
2 reports · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
Riverside County, 78 km SE
Nearest mapped fault
Pinto Mountain fault (includes Morongo Valley fault), 6 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 3563 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 Morongo Valley, 14 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.

Likely felt in: Morongo Valley 14 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 51 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 5.8 300,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 210,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 19× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.1 about 51 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 4.4 on 2016-01-06 — about 2,300 times the energy of this one.

Before 2016, the USGS record lists 37 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 7.3 The 1992 Landers, California Earthquake · 25 km ENE of this epicentre
  2. 6.7 The 1918 San Jacinto, California Earthquake · 48 km SSW of this epicentre
  3. 6.3 The 1992 Big Bear, California Earthquake · 15 km NW of this epicentre
  4. 6.1 The 1992 Joshua Tree, California Earthquake · 39 km ESE of this epicentre
  5. 6.0 The 1948 Desert Hot Springs, California Earthquake · 37 km ESE 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 34.1257, -116.6943. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Riverside County, CA 78 km (48 mi) SE earthquakes near Riverside County
San Bernardino County, CA 94 km (58 mi) NNE earthquakes near San Bernardino County
Orange County, CA 112 km (69 mi) WSW earthquakes near Orange 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 9km N of Yucca Valley, CA
  2. 1.6 7km ESE of Yucaipa, CA
  3. 1.7 9km SE of Valle Vista, CA
  4. 1.8 8km S of Redlands, CA
  5. 1.9 7km NE of Banning, CA
  6. 1.7 18km S of Joshua Tree, CA
  7. 2.1 7km SE of Yucca Valley, CA
  8. 2.4 6km SSW of Big Bear City, CA
  9. 1.6 11km ENE of Desert Hot Springs, CA
  10. 1.8 6km ESE of Valle Vista, CA
  11. 2.6 10km NNE of Lake Arrowhead, CA
  12. 1.8 27km N of Yucca Valley, CA
  13. 1.5 27km N of Yucca Valley, CA
  14. 1.5 8km SSW of Lucerne Valley, CA
  15. 2.4 14km S of Big Bear Lake, 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.