QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.6ml

19km NW of Desert Center, CA

Yes. A magnitude 2.6 earthquake was recorded 19km NW of Desert Center, CA, at 2:47 am PDT on 25 April 2018 (09:47 UTC), 3.0 km deep. 7 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

· 3.0 km deep · released about 210 lb of TNT

Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Riverside County 42 kmImperial County 89 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
Magnitude
M 2.6 (ml)
Depth
3.0 km below the surface
Felt
7 reports · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
Riverside County, 42 km WSW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 3030 days ago

This was a small earthquake. Shaking like this is often felt indoors nearby and very rarely causes damage.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 23 km (14 mi) from the epicentre. 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 210 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.6 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 72,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 51,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 4.6× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.6 about 210 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. 5.7 38km ESE of Twentynine Palms, CA · 23 km NNW of this epicentre
  2. 5.5 15 km SSE of Twentynine Palms, California · 45 km WNW of this epicentre
  3. 5.0 15 km SSE of Twentynine Palms, California · 45 km WNW 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 33.8245, -115.5607. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Riverside County, CA 42 km (26 mi) WSW earthquakes near Riverside County
Imperial County, CA 89 km (55 mi) SSE earthquakes near Imperial County
San Bernardino County, CA 128 km (80 mi) NNW earthquakes near San Bernardino County
San Diego County, CA 144 km (89 mi) SW earthquakes near San Diego County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.9 14km NE of Indio, CA
  2. 1.8 16km NE of Indio, CA
  3. 1.9 4km NE of North Shore, CA
  4. 1.7 12km ESE of North Shore, CA
  5. 2.7 22km NE of Thermal, CA
  6. 1.7 22km NE of Thermal, CA
  7. 2.4 33km SE of Twentynine Palms, CA
  8. 1.8 16km NE of Indio, CA
  9. 1.7 16km S of Twentynine Palms, CA
  10. 2.3 15km S of Twentynine Palms, CA
  11. 2.2 16km S of Twentynine Palms, CA
  12. 2.0 16km NE of Coachella, CA
  13. 1.6 16km S of Twentynine Palms, CA
  14. 1.6 16km S of Twentynine Palms, CA
  15. 1.7 16km S of Twentynine Palms, 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.