QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.1ml

Earthquake near Arvin, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Arvin in the 24 hours to 7:06 am PST (15:06 UTC). The last one was M 2.8, 14 km (9 mi) WSW, at 2:35 am PDT on 29 July 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 1 felt report to USGS. Every earthquake near Arvin

This page: a magnitude 2.1 earthquake was recorded 14 km (9 mi) south-southwest of Arvin, CA, at 4:22 am PDT on 19 May 2024 (11:22 UTC), 3.4 km deep.

USGS: 14 km SSW of Arvin, CA

32 km (20 mi) SSE of Bakersfield, CA · 127 km (79 mi) NNW of Los Angeles, CA

4:22 am PDT, May 19, 2024 · · 3.4 km deep · released about 47 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Kern County 32 kmVentura County 85 kmLos Angeles County 115 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
4:22 am PDT on 19 May 2024 ()
Where
14 km (9 mi) south-southwest of Arvin, CA · earthquakes near Arvin
Magnitude
M 2.1 (ml)
Depth
3.4 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Kern County, 32 km NNE
Nearest mapped fault
White Wolf 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 907 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 Arvin, 14 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: Arvin 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 47 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.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 320,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 230,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 20× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.1 about 47 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 30 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 7.5 The 1952 Kern County, California Earthquake · 18 km SW of this epicentre
  2. 6.0 Tejon Pass, California · 21 km S of this epicentre
  3. 5.8 Near Bakersfield, California · 25 km NNE of this epicentre
  4. 5.8 13km WNW of Grapevine, CA · 21 km SW of this epicentre
  5. 5.7 11km N of Lamont, CA · 30 km N 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 35.0915, -118.8878. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Kern County, CA 32 km (20 mi) NNE earthquakes near Kern County
Ventura County, CA 85 km (53 mi) SSW earthquakes near Ventura County
Los Angeles County, CA 115 km (71 mi) SSE earthquakes near Los Angeles County
Santa Barbara County, CA 122 km (76 mi) WSW earthquakes near Santa Barbara County
Kings County, CA 138 km (86 mi) NW earthquakes near Kings County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 4.1 22 km SW of Lamont, CA
  2. 3.0 20 km NW of Grapevine, CA
  3. 2.9 20 km NW of Grapevine, CA
  4. 2.6 22 km SSW of Rosedale, CA
  5. 2.7 15 km NW of Grapevine, CA
  6. 2.8 20 km NW of Grapevine, CA
  7. 3.2 24 km SW of Lamont, CA
  8. 2.9 25 km NW of Grapevine, CA
  9. 3.2 22 km NW of Grapevine, CA
  10. 4.6 25 km SW of Lamont, CA
  11. 5.2 24 km SW of Lamont, CA
  12. 2.1 22 km NE of Arvin, CA
  13. 1.5 6 km S of Frazier Park, CA
  14. 1.8 20 km NW of Grapevine, CA
  15. 1.6 20 km SE of Arvin, 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.