QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.1ml

Earthquake near Temecula, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Temecula in the 24 hours to 7:49 am PST (15:49 UTC). The last one was M 2.4, 4 km (2 mi) NE, at 3:31 am PDT on 5 September 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 86 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Temecula

This page: a magnitude 2.1 earthquake was recorded 5 km (3 mi) east-southeast of Temecula, CA, at 1:01 am PDT on 23 April 2018 (08:01 UTC), 14 km deep. 9 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 5km ESE of Temecula, CA

in Temecula, CA · 136 km (84 mi) ESE of Los Angeles, CA

1:01 am PDT, Apr 23, 2018 · · 14 km deep · released about 43 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N San Diego County 58 kmOrange County 67 kmRiverside County 105 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
1:01 am PDT on 23 April 2018 ()
Where
5 km (3 mi) east-southeast of Temecula, CA · earthquakes near Temecula
Magnitude
M 2.1 (ml)
Depth
14 km below the surface
Felt
9 reports · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
San Diego County, 58 km SSE
Nearest mapped fault
Elsinore fault, 2 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 3031 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 9 km (6 mi) from the epicentre. In Temecula, 5 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: Temecula 5 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 43 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 5.8 350,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 250,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 22× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.1 about 43 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 9 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 6.7 The 1918 San Jacinto, California Earthquake · 34 km NNE of this epicentre
  2. 6.0 The 1910 Lake Elsinore, California Earthquake · 38 km NW of this epicentre
  3. 5.3 6km SSE of Hemet, CA · 30 km NNE of this epicentre
  4. 5.2 8km ENE of Trabuco Canyon, CA · 46 km WNW of this epicentre
  5. 5.2 10km ESE of Anza, CA · 50 km E 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 33.4700, -117.0970. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
San Diego County, CA 58 km (36 mi) SSE earthquakes near San Diego County
Orange County, CA 67 km (42 mi) WNW earthquakes near Orange County
Riverside County, CA 105 km (66 mi) ENE earthquakes near Riverside County
Los Angeles County, CA 135 km (84 mi) NW earthquakes near Los Angeles County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.9 5km NE of Anza, CA
  2. 2.1 7km ENE of Aguanga, CA
  3. 1.9 8km ENE of Aguanga, CA
  4. 2.2 6km ENE of San Jacinto, CA
  5. 1.6 9km NE of Aguanga, CA
  6. 2.6 6km NE of Anza, CA
  7. 1.7 6km S of Idyllwild, CA
  8. 2.2 8km NE of Aguanga, CA
  9. 2.6 14km SSE of Anza, CA
  10. 1.8 8km NE of Aguanga, CA
  11. 2.3 8km NE of Aguanga, CA
  12. 3.5 8km NE of Aguanga, CA
  13. 3.0 8km NE of Aguanga, CA
  14. 1.7 7km E of Murrieta Hot Springs, CA
  15. 1.7 9km NE of Aguanga, 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.