QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.8ml

Earthquake near Searles Valley, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Searles Valley in the 24 hours to 5:44 am PST (13:44 UTC). The last one was M 2.7, 21 km (13 mi) N, at 11:15 am PST on 4 November 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Searles Valley

This page: a magnitude 2.8 earthquake was recorded 46 km (29 mi) north-northwest of Searles Valley, CA, at 1:14 pm PDT on 13 May 2019 (20:14 UTC), 2.7 km deep.

USGS: 26km ENE of Coso Junction, CA

1:14 pm PDT, May 13, 2019 · · 2.7 km deep · released about 430 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Searles Valley Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Inyo County 55 kmTulare County 100 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
1:14 pm PDT on 13 May 2019 ()
Where
46 km (29 mi) north-northwest of Searles Valley, CA · earthquakes near Searles Valley
Magnitude
M 2.8 (ml)
Depth
2.7 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Inyo County, 55 km NNE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2738 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 26 km (16 mi) from the epicentre. In Searles Valley, 46 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 430 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.8 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 35,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 25,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 2.2× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.8 about 430 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 13 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 5.8 16km NNE of Ridgecrest, California · 40 km S of this epicentre
  2. 5.4 17km N of Ridgecrest, California · 38 km S of this epicentre
  3. 5.3 27km E of Coso Junction, California · 6 km SSE of this epicentre
  4. 5.2 8km NE of Inyokern, CA · 48 km S of this epicentre
  5. 5.2 15km NNE of Inyokern, CA · 39 km SSW 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 36.1208, -117.6732. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Inyo County, CA 55 km (34 mi) NNE earthquakes near Inyo County
Tulare County, CA 100 km (62 mi) W earthquakes near Tulare County
Kern County, CA 128 km (80 mi) SW earthquakes near Kern 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. 2.6 18km WSW of Olancha, CA
  2. 1.8 18km WSW of Olancha, CA
  3. 2.0 18km WSW of Olancha, CA
  4. 1.6 18km WSW of Olancha, CA
  5. 1.6 18km WSW of Olancha, CA
  6. 1.7 18km WSW of Olancha, CA
  7. 2.0 18km WSW of Olancha, CA
  8. 1.5 18km WSW of Olancha, CA
  9. 2.6 18km WSW of Olancha, CA
  10. 1.7 18km WSW of Olancha, CA
  11. 1.6 18km WSW of Olancha, CA
  12. 1.7 26km ENE of Coso Junction, CA
  13. 2.6 18km WSW of Olancha, CA
  14. 1.8 18km WSW of Olancha, CA
  15. 1.8 18km WSW 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.