QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.3ml

Earthquake near Lake Elsinore, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Lake Elsinore in the 24 hours to 3:33 am PST (11:33 UTC). The last one was M 3.2, 45 km (28 mi) NNW, at 5:37 am PDT on 2 September 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 730 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Lake Elsinore

This page: a magnitude 2.3 earthquake was recorded 12 km (7 mi) west-northwest of Lake Elsinore, CA, at 4:43 am PDT on 13 August 2020 (11:43 UTC), 9.8 km deep. 7 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 12km WNW of Lake Elsinore, CA

11 km (7 mi) WNW of Lake Elsinore, CA · 95 km (59 mi) ESE of Los Angeles, CA

4:43 am PDT, Aug 13, 2020 · · 9.8 km deep · released about 74 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Lake Elsinore Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Orange County 31 kmLos Angeles County 93 kmSan Diego County 98 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
4:43 am PDT on 13 August 2020 ()
Where
12 km (7 mi) west-northwest of Lake Elsinore, CA · earthquakes near Lake Elsinore
Magnitude
M 2.3 (ml)
Depth
9.8 km below the surface
Felt
7 reports · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Orange County, 31 km W
Nearest mapped fault
Elsinore fault, 1 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 2194 days ago

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 17 km (11 mi) from the epicentre. In Lake Elsinore, 12 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: Lake Elsinore 12 km, intensity II · Rancho Santa Margarita 16 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 74 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.3 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 200,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 140,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 13× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.3 about 74 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 9 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 6.7 The 1918 San Jacinto, California Earthquake · 45 km E of this epicentre
  2. 6.2 3 km SE of San Bernardino, California · 46 km NNE of this epicentre
  3. 6.0 The 1910 Lake Elsinore, California Earthquake · 5 km E of this epicentre
  4. 5.4 5km S of Chino Hills, CA · 40 km NW of this epicentre
  5. 5.3 6km SSE of Hemet, CA · 47 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 33.7053, -117.4485. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Orange County, CA 31 km (19 mi) W earthquakes near Orange County
Los Angeles County, CA 93 km (58 mi) NW earthquakes near Los Angeles County
San Diego County, CA 98 km (61 mi) SE 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. 1.5 5km SE of Home Gardens, CA
  2. 1.8 5km SSE of Home Gardens, CA
  3. 1.6 1km ESE of Loma Linda, CA
  4. 1.6 11km WNW of Lake Elsinore, CA
  5. 1.6 9km SSE of Chino, CA
  6. 1.6 8km SSE of Home Gardens, CA
  7. 2.6 1km NNW of Loma Linda, CA
  8. 1.7 2km NE of Moreno Valley, CA
  9. 1.7 4km SE of Home Gardens, CA
  10. 1.7 11km WNW of Lake Elsinore, CA
  11. 3.3 11km WNW of Lake Elsinore, CA
  12. 1.5 1km N of Redlands, CA
  13. 1.9 1km NNE of Redlands, CA
  14. 1.8 4km SE of Home Gardens, CA
  15. 1.5 7km ENE of Villa Park, 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.