QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.9md

Earthquake near Jamestown, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Jamestown in the 24 hours to 7:59 pm PST (03:59 UTC). The last one was M 5.2, 192 km (119 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 Jamestown

This page: a magnitude 1.9 earthquake was recorded 9 km (5 mi) south-southwest of Jamestown, CA, at 9:07 am PST on 6 November 2019 (17:07 UTC), 1.8 km deep.

USGS: 3km WNW of Chinese Camp, CA

55 km (34 mi) NE of Turlock, CA · 136 km (84 mi) ENE of San Jose, CA

9:07 am PST, Nov 6, 2019 · · 1.8 km deep · released about 19 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Calaveras County 35 kmTuolumne County 47 kmStanislaus County 59 kmMariposa County 60 kmAmador County 64 kmSan Joaquin County 71 kmMerced County 80 kmMadera County 98 kmSacramento County 99 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
9:07 am PST on 6 November 2019 ()
Where
9 km (5 mi) south-southwest of Jamestown, CA · earthquakes near Jamestown
Magnitude
M 1.9 (md)
Depth
1.8 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Calaveras County, 35 km NNW
Nearest mapped fault
Foothills fault system, 4 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 2562 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 Jamestown, 9 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: Sonora, East Sonora, Columbia, Copperopolis, Phoenix Lake, Soulsbyville.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 19 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 5.8 810,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 580,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 51× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.9 about 19 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 37.8850, -120.4663. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Calaveras County, CA 35 km (22 mi) NNW earthquakes near Calaveras County
Tuolumne County, CA 47 km (29 mi) ENE earthquakes near Tuolumne County
Stanislaus County, CA 59 km (37 mi) SW earthquakes near Stanislaus County
Mariposa County, CA 60 km (37 mi) SE earthquakes near Mariposa County
Amador County, CA 64 km (40 mi) NNW earthquakes near Amador County
San Joaquin County, CA 71 km (44 mi) W earthquakes near San Joaquin County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.6 1 km NW of Forest Meadows, California
  2. 2.2 9 km NW of Chinese Camp, CA
  3. 1.9 18km E of Groveland-Big Oak Flat, CA
  4. 2.3 6km S of Vallecito, CA
  5. 2.1 11km E of Groveland-Big Oak Flat, CA
  6. 2.1 14km NW of Midpines, CA
  7. 1.8 7km WNW of Chinese Camp, CA
  8. 1.5 16km ESE of Groveland-Big Oak Flat, CA
  9. 2.5 18km SE of Groveland-Big Oak Flat, 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.