QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.7ml

Earthquake near Barstow, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Barstow in the 24 hours to 4:26 am PST (12:26 UTC). The last one was M 1.8, 3 km (2 mi) NNW, at 3:18 pm PDT on 17 July 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 1 felt report to USGS. Every earthquake near Barstow

This page: a magnitude 2.7 earthquake was recorded 13 km (8 mi) north-northeast of Barstow, CA, at 4:35 am PDT on 28 September 2019 (11:35 UTC), 6.5 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 12km NNE of Barstow, CA

56 km (35 mi) NNE of Apple Valley, CA · 124 km (77 mi) NNE of Riverside, CA

4:35 am PDT, Sep 28, 2019 · · 6.5 km deep · released about 320 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Barstow Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N San Bernardino County 71 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
4:35 am PDT on 28 September 2019 ()
Where
13 km (8 mi) north-northeast of Barstow, CA · earthquakes near Barstow
Magnitude
M 2.7 (ml)
Depth
6.5 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
San Bernardino County, 71 km ESE
Nearest mapped fault
Calico-Hidalgo 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 758 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 24 km (15 mi) from the epicentre. In Barstow, 13 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: Barstow 13 km, intensity II · Barstow Heights 17 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 320 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.7 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 48,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 34,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 3× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.7 about 320 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 4 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km:

  1. 6.5 The 1947 Manix, California Earthquake · 38 km E of this epicentre
  2. 5.3 20km ENE of Barstow, California · 12 km ESE of this epicentre
  3. 5.1 46 km E of Barstow, California · 43 km ESE of this epicentre
  4. 5.0 27km S of Fort Irwin, CA · 21 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 34.9923, -116.9467. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
San Bernardino County, CA 71 km (44 mi) ESE earthquakes near San Bernardino County
Los Angeles County, CA 149 km (93 mi) SW earthquakes near Los Angeles County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.5 40km NNW of Barstow, CA
  2. 3.9 40km NNW of Barstow, CA
  3. 1.5 14km S of Fort Irwin, CA
  4. 1.6 14km S of Fort Irwin, CA
  5. 1.6 16km NNE of Apple Valley, CA
  6. 2.3 26km ESE of Boron, CA
  7. 2.4 27km ESE of Boron, CA
  8. 2.8 12km NE of Barstow, CA
  9. 2.1 40km WNW of Ludlow, CA
  10. 2.0 40km WNW of Ludlow, CA
  11. 1.8 23km ENE of Barstow, CA
  12. 1.8 16 km NNE of Apple Valley, CA
  13. 1.9 22km NNE of Barstow, CA
  14. 2.5 34km E of Barstow, CA
  15. 1.6 16 km NNE of Apple Valley, 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.