QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 4.1mw

Earthquake near China Lake Acres, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in China Lake Acres in the 24 hours to 12:08 pm PST (20:08 UTC). The last one was M 3.2, 37 km (23 mi) S, at 8:01 am PDT on 23 September 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 3 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near China Lake Acres

This page: a magnitude 4.1 earthquake was recorded 47 km (29 mi) north of China Lake Acres, CA, at 5:48 pm PDT on 9 July 2019 (00:48 UTC), 1.7 km deep. 8 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 9km E of Coso Junction, CA

5:48 pm PDT, Jul 9, 2019 · · 1.7 km deep · released about 19 tons of TNT

Every earthquake near China Lake Acres Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Inyo County 69 kmTulare County 86 kmKern 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
5:48 pm PDT on 9 July 2019 ()
Where
47 km (29 mi) north of China Lake Acres, CA · earthquakes near China Lake Acres
Magnitude
M 4.1 (mw)
Depth
1.7 km below the surface
Felt
8 reports · strongest reported intensity IV
Measured shaking
intensity VI (ShakeMap)
USGS impact alert
green
Nearest
Inyo County, 69 km NE
Nearest mapped fault
Southern Sierra Nevada fault, 12 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 1807 days ago

This was a light earthquake. It is usually felt clearly nearby and can rattle windows and dishes, but damage is uncommon.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 102 km (63 mi) from the epicentre. In China Lake Acres, 47 km away, the estimate is intensity III (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 19 tons of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 5.1 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Northridge, California 1994 M 6.7 8,800× the energy of this one
  2. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 390× the energy of this one
  3. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 280× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 4.1 about 19 tons of TNT
  5. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 this one released 40× more

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 7.1 on 2019-07-06 — about 35,000 times the energy of this one.

Before 2016, the USGS record lists 18 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 6.3 The 1946 Walker Pass, California Earthquake · 40 km SSW of this epicentre
  2. 5.8 16km NNE of Ridgecrest, California · 38 km SSE of this epicentre
  3. 5.4 14km NW of Inyokern, CA · 38 km SSW of this epicentre
  4. 5.4 4km N of Inyokern, CA · 42 km S of this epicentre
  5. 5.4 17km N of Ridgecrest, California · 35 km SSE 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 36.0572, -117.8472. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Inyo County, CA 69 km (43 mi) NE earthquakes near Inyo County
Tulare County, CA 86 km (53 mi) WNW earthquakes near Tulare County
Kern County, CA 112 km (70 mi) SW earthquakes near Kern County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.8 10km E of Coso Junction, CA
  2. 1.9 20km ESE of Little Lake, CA
  3. 1.5 20km E of Little Lake, CA
  4. 1.6 24km WNW of Searles Valley, CA
  5. 1.9 3km WNW of Ridgecrest, CA
  6. 2.4 20km E of Little Lake, CA
  7. 1.8 19km W of Searles Valley, CA
  8. 1.5 18km W of Searles Valley, CA
  9. 2.4 24km ESE of Little Lake, CA
  10. 1.9 8km ENE of Coso Junction, CA
  11. 1.9 16km W of Searles Valley, CA
  12. 1.5 17km E of Little Lake, CA
  13. 1.6 7km NNE of Little Lake, CA
  14. 1.7 17km W of Searles Valley, CA
  15. 1.8 9km E of Coso Junction, 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.