QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.1md

Earthquake near Berkeley, CA

Yes. A magnitude 2.1 earthquake was recorded in Berkeley, CA, at 6:06 pm PDT on 9 September 2016 (01:06 UTC), 8.8 km deep. 6 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

This was on 9 September 2016. The latest near Berkeley: M 2.5 on 17 August 2026.

USGS: 1 km E of Berkeley, California

18 km (11 mi) NE of San Francisco, CA · in Berkeley, CA

6:06 pm PDT, Sep 9, 2016 · · 8.8 km deep · released about 44 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Berkeley Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Contra Costa County 27 kmAlameda County 39 kmMarin County 48 kmSolano County 52 kmSan Mateo County 52 kmSan Francisco County 70 kmNapa County 71 kmSan Joaquin County 86 kmSanta Clara County 88 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
6:06 pm PDT on 9 September 2016 ()
Where
in Berkeley, CA · earthquakes near Berkeley
Magnitude
M 2.1 (md)
Depth
8.8 km below the surface
Felt
6 reports · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Contra Costa County, 27 km E
Nearest mapped fault
Hayward fault, 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 3401 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 15 km (9 mi) from the epicentre. 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: Berkeley in town, intensity II · Albany 4 km, intensity II · Emeryville 5 km, intensity II · Piedmont 6 km, intensity II · Orinda 6 km, intensity II · El Cerrito 7 km, intensity II · Oakland 8 km, intensity II · Richmond 11 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 44 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 5.8 340,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 240,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 22× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.1 about 44 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 5 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km:

  1. 7.9 The 1906 San Francisco, California Earthquake · 29 km WSW of this epicentre
  2. 6.0 The 2014 South Napa, California Earthquake · 38 km N of this epicentre
  3. 5.8 The 1980 Livermore, California Earthquake · 43 km E of this epicentre
  4. 5.3 The 1957 San Francisco, California Earthquake · 31 km SW of this epicentre
  5. 5.1 11 km E of Blackhawk, California · 43 km E 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 37.8730, -122.2532. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Contra Costa County, CA 27 km (17 mi) E earthquakes near Contra Costa County
Alameda County, CA 39 km (24 mi) SE earthquakes near Alameda County
Marin County, CA 48 km (30 mi) WNW earthquakes near Marin County
Solano County, CA 52 km (32 mi) NNE earthquakes near Solano County
San Mateo County, CA 52 km (32 mi) SSW earthquakes near San Mateo County
San Francisco County, CA 70 km (44 mi) WSW earthquakes near San Francisco County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.5 1 km SW of Blackhawk, California
  2. 2.4 2 km SSE of Berkeley, California
  3. 1.6 0 km SW of Blackhawk, California
  4. 1.9 1 km WSW of Concord, California
  5. 1.6 1 km NW of Acalanes Ridge, California
  6. 2.0 1 km NE of Pacifica, California
  7. 1.5 1 km NNW of Piedmont, California
  8. 2.2 0 km NW of Piedmont, California
  9. 2.3 1 km NW of Piedmont, California
  10. 1.5 2 km NE of Pacifica, California
  11. 1.6 3 km SSW of Alamo, California
  12. 1.6 1 km NE of Pacifica, California
  13. 2.9 2 km NE of Pacifica, California
  14. 1.7 2 km NE of Pacifica, California
  15. 1.6 2 km NE of Pacifica, 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.