QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.2ml

Earthquake near Coachella, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Coachella in the 24 hours to 10:34 am PST (18:34 UTC). The last one was M 4.9, 167 km (104 mi) SE, at 10:27 am PST on 3 November 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 321 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Coachella

This page: a magnitude 2.2 earthquake was recorded 13 km (8 mi) east-northeast of Coachella, CA, at 8:11 am PST on 15 February 2023 (16:11 UTC), 5.5 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 13km ENE of Coachella, CA

17 km (11 mi) E of Indio, CA · 144 km (89 mi) NE of San Diego, CA

8:11 am PST, Feb 15, 2023 · · 5.5 km deep · released about 52 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Riverside County 5 kmImperial County 101 kmSan Diego County 104 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
8:11 am PST on 15 February 2023 ()
Where
13 km (8 mi) east-northeast of Coachella, CA · earthquakes near Coachella
Magnitude
M 2.2 (ml)
Depth
5.5 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
Riverside County, 5 km E
Nearest mapped fault
Mecca Hills fault, 7 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 1366 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 Coachella, 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: Coachella 13 km, intensity II · Indio 15 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 52 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.2 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 290,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 200,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 18× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.2 about 52 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 5.2 on 2016-06-10 — about 35,000 times the energy of this one.

Before 2016, the USGS record lists 15 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 6.4 The 1954 San Jacinto Fault, California Earthquake · 49 km S of this epicentre
  2. 6.1 The 1992 Joshua Tree, California Earthquake · 35 km NW of this epicentre
  3. 6.0 16km WSW of Oasis, CA · 41 km SSW of this epicentre
  4. 6.0 The 1948 Desert Hot Springs, California Earthquake · 38 km NW of this epicentre
  5. 5.7 38km ESE of Twentynine Palms, CA · 44 km NE 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 33.7335, -116.0512. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Riverside County, CA 5 km (3 mi) E earthquakes near Riverside County
Imperial County, CA 101 km (62 mi) SE earthquakes near Imperial County
San Diego County, CA 104 km (64 mi) SW earthquakes near San Diego County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.7 21km NNW of Borrego Springs, CA
  2. 1.6 22km SSW of La Quinta, CA
  3. 1.5 22km ESE of Anza, CA
  4. 1.6 15km N of Borrego Springs, CA
  5. 2.0 22km SSW of La Quinta, CA
  6. 1.5 15km ESE of Anza, CA
  7. 2.0 10km NE of Indio, CA
  8. 2.0 19km ESE of Anza, CA
  9. 2.1 17km NE of Borrego Springs, CA
  10. 1.7 20km ESE of Anza, CA
  11. 2.1 24km ENE of Thermal, CA
  12. 2.7 35km NW of Desert Center, CA
  13. 1.5 17km ESE of Anza, CA
  14. 2.7 19km ESE of Anza, CA
  15. 2.1 18km ESE of Anza, 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.