QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.6ml

Earthquake near Big Bear City, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Big Bear City in the 24 hours to 6:01 am PST (14:01 UTC). The last one was M 1.5, 10 km (6 mi) ESE, at 12:11 pm PST on 3 November 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Big Bear City

This page: a magnitude 1.6 earthquake was recorded 20 km (12 mi) east-northeast of Big Bear City, CA, at 2:35 pm PST on 5 December 2022 (22:35 UTC), 4.0 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 20km ENE of Big Bear City, CA

81 km (50 mi) ENE of Riverside, CA · 49 km (31 mi) NE of Yucaipa, CA

2:35 pm PST, Dec 5, 2022 · · 4.0 km deep · released about 7.1 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Big Bear City Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N San Bernardino County 72 kmRiverside County 90 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
2:35 pm PST on 5 December 2022 ()
Where
20 km (12 mi) east-northeast of Big Bear City, CA · earthquakes near Big Bear City
Magnitude
M 1.6 (ml)
Depth
4.0 km below the surface
Felt
1 report
Nearest
San Bernardino County, 72 km NE
Nearest mapped fault
North Frontal thrust system, under 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 1437 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 10 km (6 mi) from the epicentre. In Big Bear City, 20 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.

Earthquakes near other towns within 30 km: Big Bear Lake.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 7.1 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.6 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 2,100,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 1,500,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 130× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.6 about 7.1 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 4.5 on 2018-05-08 — about 23,000 times the energy of this one.

Before 2016, the USGS record lists 38 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 7.3 The 1992 Landers, California Earthquake · 25 km SE of this epicentre
  2. 7.1 The 1999 Hector Mine, California Earthquake · 46 km NE of this epicentre
  3. 6.3 The 1992 Big Bear, California Earthquake · 22 km SW of this epicentre
  4. 6.0 The 1948 Desert Hot Springs, California Earthquake · 49 km SE of this epicentre
  5. 6.0 The 1986 North Palm Springs, California Earthquake · 38 km S 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 34.3348, -116.6520. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
San Bernardino County, CA 72 km (45 mi) NE earthquakes near San Bernardino County
Riverside County, CA 90 km (56 mi) SE earthquakes near Riverside County
Orange County, CA 127 km (79 mi) SW earthquakes near Orange County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.7 12km NE of Running Springs, CA
  2. 1.7 16km N of Yucca Valley, CA
  3. 1.7 23km N of Yucca Valley, CA
  4. 1.6 10km W of Big Bear Lake, CA
  5. 2.2 8km ENE of Cabazon, CA
  6. 1.8 12km NNE of Cabazon, CA
  7. 1.8 13km NE of Running Springs, CA
  8. 1.7 15km ENE of Yucaipa, CA
  9. 2.5 7km NE of Banning, CA
  10. 2.1 5km ESE of Yucca Valley, CA
  11. 1.5 6km ENE of Yucaipa, CA
  12. 1.8 6km ENE of Yucaipa, CA
  13. 2.0 7km NNE of Banning, CA
  14. 1.5 9km SW of Morongo Valley, CA
  15. 1.7 11km SSW of Big Bear Lake, 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.