QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.1md

Earthquake near Livermore, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Livermore in the 24 hours to 7:03 pm PST (03:03 UTC). The last one was M 2.1, 12 km (8 mi) SE, at 8:52 am PDT on 27 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 1 felt report to USGS. Every earthquake near Livermore

This page: a magnitude 2.1 earthquake was recorded in Livermore, CA, at 11:20 pm PDT on 8 May 2017 (06:20 UTC), 5.4 km deep. 3 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 1 km SSE of Livermore, California

in Livermore, CA · 41 km (26 mi) N of San Jose, CA

11:20 pm PDT, May 8, 2017 · · 5.4 km deep · released about 46 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Livermore Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Alameda County 13 kmContra Costa County 33 kmSanta Clara County 50 kmSan Joaquin County 52 kmSan Mateo County 61 kmStanislaus County 68 kmSolano County 69 kmSanta Cruz County 76 kmSacramento County 95 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
11:20 pm PDT on 8 May 2017 ()
Where
in Livermore, CA · earthquakes near Livermore
Magnitude
M 2.1 (md)
Depth
5.4 km below the surface
Felt
3 reports · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Alameda County, 13 km W
Nearest mapped fault
Las Positas fault, 5 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 3472 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. 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: Livermore in town, intensity II · Pleasanton 10 km, intensity II · Dublin 16 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 46 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 5.8 330,000× 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 21× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.1 about 46 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 8 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 6.2 Near San Jose, California · 41 km S of this epicentre
  2. 6.2 The 1984 Morgan Hill, California Earthquake · 40 km S of this epicentre
  3. 5.8 The 1980 Livermore, California Earthquake · 19 km N of this epicentre
  4. 5.7 15 km NE of East Foothills, California · 22 km SSE of this epicentre
  5. 5.5 6 km NNE of East Foothills, California · 26 km S 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 37.6660, -121.7618. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Alameda County, CA 13 km (8 mi) W earthquakes near Alameda County
Contra Costa County, CA 33 km (20 mi) NNW earthquakes near Contra Costa County
Santa Clara County, CA 50 km (31 mi) S earthquakes near Santa Clara County
San Joaquin County, CA 52 km (33 mi) NE earthquakes near San Joaquin County
San Mateo County, CA 61 km (38 mi) WSW earthquakes near San Mateo County
Stanislaus County, CA 68 km (42 mi) E earthquakes near Stanislaus 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. 1.5 2 km S of Loyola, California
  2. 1.9 0 km NNW of Pleasant Hill, California
  3. 2.4 8 km NE of Milpitas, California
  4. 1.6 3 km S of Loyola, California
  5. 1.8 0 km E of Hayward, California
  6. 2.0 4 km NNW of Orinda, California
  7. 2.5 8 km ESE of East Foothills, California
  8. 2.2 0 km ESE of North Gate, California
  9. 2.0 4 km NNW of Orinda, California
  10. 1.6 4 km SW of Danville, California
  11. 2.1 2 km SSW of San Ramon, California
  12. 2.2 1 km SSW of San Ramon, California
  13. 1.8 0 km NNW of Ladera, California
  14. 1.6 1 km N of Ladera, California
  15. 2.0 1 km W of Danville, 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.