QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.4md

Earthquake near Phoenix Lake, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Phoenix Lake in the 24 hours to 11:09 am PST (19:09 UTC). The last one was M 5.2, 181 km (113 mi) NE, at 1:17 am PDT on 1 May 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 1,875 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Phoenix Lake

This page: a magnitude 2.4 earthquake was recorded 38 km (24 mi) southeast of Phoenix Lake, CA, at 8:53 pm PDT on 9 July 2016 (03:53 UTC), 8.8 km deep. 7 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 9 km E of Buck Meadows, California

8:53 pm PDT, Jul 9, 2016 · · 8.8 km deep · released about 110 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Tuolumne County 25 kmMariposa County 25 kmMadera County 68 kmCalaveras County 68 kmAlpine County 93 kmAmador County 94 kmMerced County 95 kmStanislaus County 96 kmMono County 96 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
8:53 pm PDT on 9 July 2016 ()
Where
38 km (24 mi) southeast of Phoenix Lake, CA · earthquakes near Phoenix Lake
Magnitude
M 2.4 (md)
Depth
8.8 km below the surface
Felt
7 reports · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Tuolumne County, 25 km N
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 3563 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 19 km (12 mi) from the epicentre. In Phoenix Lake, 38 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: Midpines.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 110 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.4 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 130,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 95,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 8.5× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.4 about 110 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 since 1900 lists no earthquake of M5 or more within 50 km.

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 37.7967, -119.9575. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Tuolumne County, CA 25 km (16 mi) N earthquakes near Tuolumne County
Mariposa County, CA 25 km (16 mi) S earthquakes near Mariposa County
Madera County, CA 68 km (42 mi) SSE earthquakes near Madera County
Calaveras County, CA 68 km (42 mi) NW earthquakes near Calaveras County
Alpine County, CA 93 km (58 mi) N earthquakes near Alpine County
Amador County, CA 94 km (59 mi) NW earthquakes near Amador County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.9 8km SSW of Bootjack, CA
  2. 1.7 10km NE of Ahwahnee, CA
  3. 2.0 14km SSW of Mariposa, CA
  4. 1.6 14km S of Mariposa, CA
  5. 2.9 12km SSW of Bootjack, CA
  6. 2.3 9km NW of Mariposa, CA
  7. 1.6 15km SE of Yosemite Valley, CA
  8. 1.6 16km SSE of Yosemite Valley, CA
  9. 2.1 4 km WNW of Mariposa, California
  10. 2.2 6 km ESE of Coulterville, California
  11. 2.4 11 km ENE of Buck Meadows, California
  12. 1.7 12 km SSE of Yosemite Valley, California
  13. 1.6 5 km SSE of Fish Camp, California
  14. 1.5 15 km SE of Yosemite Valley, California
  15. 1.6 13 km SE of Catheys Valley, California

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.