Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist
M 2.1ml
Earthquake near Los Angeles, CA
No earthquake was likely felt in Los Angeles in the 24 hours to 4:32 am PST (12:32 UTC). The last one was M 3.2, 30 km (19 mi) S, at 12:44 am PDT on 9 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 1,090 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Los Angeles
This page: a magnitude 2.1 earthquake was recorded 33 km (20 mi) north-northwest of Los Angeles, CA, at 4:38 am PDT on 30 July 2020 (11:38 UTC), 7.8 km deep. 8 people have reported feeling it to USGS.
USGS: 1km NNW of San Fernando, CA
14 km (9 mi) SSE of Santa Clarita, CA · 31 km (19 mi) N of Los Angeles, CA
- When
- 4:38 am PDT on 30 July 2020 ()
- Where
- 33 km (20 mi) north-northwest of Los Angeles, CA · earthquakes near Los Angeles
- Magnitude
- M 2.1 (ml)
- Depth
- 7.8 km below the surface
- Felt
- 8 reports · strongest reported intensity IV
- Nearest
- Los Angeles County, 20 km SE
- Nearest mapped fault
- Northridge blind thrust, 4 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 2295 days ago
Earthquake alerts for Los Angeles, CA
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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 15 km (9 mi) from the epicentre. In Los Angeles, 33 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: Santa Clarita 14 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.
How big was it?
This earthquake released about 44 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.
- Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 340,000× the energy of this one
- Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 240,000× the energy of this one
- Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 22× the energy of this one
- This earthquake M 2.1 about 44 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
The largest earthquake within 50 km since 2016 was M 4.2 on 2020-07-30 — about 1,200 times the energy of this one.
Before 2016, the USGS record lists 22 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:
- 6.7 Northridge, California, earthquake · 13 km SW of this epicentre
- 6.6 1971 San Fernando Earthquake, California · 15 km NNE of this epicentre
- 5.9 The 1987 Whittier Narrows, California Earthquake · 42 km SE of this epicentre
- 5.9 1km ENE of Granada Hills, California · 5 km WSW of this epicentre
- 5.8 10km SSW of Agua Dulce, CA · 15 km NNE 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 34.2973, -118.4418. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Nearby places
| Place | Distance | Direction from the epicentre | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles County, CA | 20 km (12 mi) | SE | earthquakes near Los Angeles County |
| Ventura County, CA | 64 km (40 mi) | W | earthquakes near Ventura County |
| Orange County, CA | 92 km (57 mi) | SE | earthquakes near Orange County |
| Kern County, CA | 120 km (74 mi) | NNW | earthquakes near Kern 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.
- 1.9 4km W of El Segundo, CA
- 1.6 1km SSW of Sylmar, CA
- 1.7 7km SSE of Littlerock, CA
- 2.4 5km WSW of Hermosa Beach, CA
- 1.7 15km N of Castaic, CA
- 2.5 2km ESE of Granada Hills, CA
- 1.6 4km W of South El Monte, CA
- 1.9 1km S of Malibu, CA
- 2.3 3km WSW of South El Monte, CA
- 1.6 3km W of South El Monte, CA
- 1.8 3km W of South El Monte, CA
- 1.6 3km W of South El Monte, CA
- 2.1 3km WSW of South El Monte, CA
- 1.6 3km WSW of South El Monte, CA
- 1.9 4km W of South El Monte, 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
- The official USGS event page — the source of record for every value above
- Did you feel it? Report it to USGS — reports go to USGS, not to us
- ShakeMap for this event, when USGS has produced one
QuakeIndex does not issue warnings. For earthquake early warning see ShakeAlert.