QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.9md

Earthquake near Dollar Point, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Dollar Point in the 24 hours to 7:20 am PST (15:20 UTC). The last one was M 1.7, 3 km (2 mi) S, at 4:21 am PST on 9 November 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Dollar Point

This page: a magnitude 1.9 earthquake was recorded 10 km (6 mi) southeast of Dollar Point, CA, at 4:49 am PDT on 31 May 2021 (11:49 UTC), 4.8 km deep.

USGS: 10km SE of Dollar Point, CA

50 km (31 mi) SSW of Reno, NV · 25 km (15 mi) W of Carson, NV

4:49 am PDT, May 31, 2021 · · 4.8 km deep · released about 21 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Dollar Point Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Carson City 25 kmDouglas County 44 kmStorey County 56 kmEl Dorado County 57 kmAlpine County 59 kmPlacer County 60 kmSierra County 66 kmNevada County 67 kmLyon County 73 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
4:49 am PDT on 31 May 2021 ()
Where
10 km (6 mi) southeast of Dollar Point, CA · earthquakes near Dollar Point
Magnitude
M 1.9 (md)
Depth
4.8 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Carson City, 25 km E
Nearest mapped fault
North Tahoe fault, 2 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 1991 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 14 km (9 mi) from the epicentre. In Dollar Point, 10 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: Sunnyside-Tahoe City 12 km, intensity II · Tahoe Vista 13 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 21 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.9 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 710,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 500,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 45× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.9 about 21 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 4.7 on 2021-05-07 — about 13,000 times the energy of this one.

Before 2016, the USGS record lists 12 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 6.1 4 km S of Carter Springs, Nevada · 47 km SE of this epicentre
  2. 6.0 Near Reno, Nevada · 46 km NNE of this epicentre
  3. 6.0 6 km WNW of Verdi, California · 48 km N of this epicentre
  4. 5.9 9 km NW of Truckee, California · 36 km NNW of this epicentre
  5. 5.3 11 km N of Soda Springs, California · 47 km NW 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 39.1218, -120.0293. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Carson City, NV 25 km (15 mi) E earthquakes near Carson City
Douglas County, NV 44 km (27 mi) ESE earthquakes near Douglas County
Storey County, NV 56 km (35 mi) NE earthquakes near Storey County
El Dorado County, CA 57 km (36 mi) SW earthquakes near El Dorado County
Alpine County, CA 59 km (37 mi) SSE earthquakes near Alpine County
Placer County, CA 60 km (37 mi) W earthquakes near Placer 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. 2.2 26km W of Sunnyside-Tahoe City, CA
  2. 1.9 3 km NNE of Carter Springs, Nevada
  3. 2.5 8km E of Mesa Vista, CA
  4. 2.2 10km N of Truckee, CA
  5. 2.2 6km ESE of Mesa Vista, CA
  6. 1.8 11 km NNW of Virginia City, Nevada
  7. 2.3 5 km SSE of Gardnerville Ranchos, Nevada
  8. 1.9 7 km ENE of Floriston, California
  9. 1.5 7 km ENE of Floriston, California
  10. 1.9 4km E of Truckee, CA
  11. 2.7 4km E of Truckee, CA
  12. 1.5 4 km NNE of Carter Springs, Nevada
  13. 1.7 3 km N of Carter Springs, Nevada
  14. 1.9 4 km NNW of Carter Springs, Nevada
  15. 1.7 5 km S of Fish Springs, Nevada

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.