QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.2md

Earthquake near Gardnerville Ranchos, NV

No earthquake was likely felt in Gardnerville Ranchos in the 24 hours to 11:55 pm PST (07:55 UTC). The last one was M 2.9, 30 km (18 mi) W, at 11:58 pm PDT on 2 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 85 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Gardnerville Ranchos

This page: a magnitude 2.2 earthquake was recorded 31 km (19 mi) south-southeast of Gardnerville Ranchos, NV, at 12:55 pm PDT on 21 April 2020 (19:55 UTC), 1.3 km deep.

USGS: 20km ESE of Markleeville, CA

59 km (36 mi) SSE of Carson, NV · 104 km (64 mi) SSE of Reno, NV

12:55 pm PDT, Apr 21, 2020 · · 1.3 km deep · released about 58 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Gardnerville Ranchos Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Alpine County 20 kmDouglas County 29 kmLyon County 53 kmCarson City 59 kmTuolumne County 77 kmEl Dorado County 85 kmStorey County 89 kmAmador County 96 kmCalaveras 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
12:55 pm PDT on 21 April 2020 ()
Where
31 km (19 mi) south-southeast of Gardnerville Ranchos, NV · earthquakes near Gardnerville Ranchos
Magnitude
M 2.2 (md)
Depth
1.3 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Alpine County, 20 km W
Nearest mapped fault
Antelope Valley 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 2390 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 18 km (11 mi) from the epicentre. In Gardnerville Ranchos, 31 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: Topaz Ranch Estates 12 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 58 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.2 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 260,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 180,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 16× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.2 about 58 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. 6.1 4 km S of Carter Springs, Nevada · 21 km NNW of this epicentre
  2. 5.2 23 km S of Walker, California · 39 km S of this epicentre
  3. 5.1 10 km SE of South Lake Tahoe, California · 38 km NW of this epicentre
  4. 5.1 19 km W of Bridgeport, California · 48 km SSE of this epicentre
  5. 5.1 8 km ESE of Mesa Vista, California · 19 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 38.6422, -119.5753. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Alpine County, CA 20 km (12 mi) W earthquakes near Alpine County
Douglas County, NV 29 km (18 mi) N earthquakes near Douglas County
Lyon County, NV 53 km (33 mi) NE earthquakes near Lyon County
Carson City, NV 59 km (36 mi) NNW earthquakes near Carson City
Tuolumne County, CA 77 km (48 mi) SSW earthquakes near Tuolumne County
El Dorado County, CA 85 km (53 mi) W earthquakes near El Dorado County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.6 31km SE of Markleeville, CA
  2. 3.4 31km SE of Markleeville, CA
  3. 3.4 29km ENE of Dardanelle, CA
  4. 2.5 30km SE of Markleeville, CA
  5. 2.8 30km ENE of Dardanelle, CA
  6. 3.1 31km ENE of Dardanelle, CA
  7. 3.0 29km ENE of Dardanelle, CA
  8. 3.3 32km ENE of Dardanelle, CA
  9. 2.8 31km SE of Markleeville, CA
  10. 3.7 31km SE of Markleeville, CA
  11. 4.3 32km SE of Markleeville, CA
  12. 3.0 30km SE of Markleeville, CA
  13. 3.2 2 km WNW of Walker, California
  14. 5.0 32km SE of Markleeville, CA
  15. 6.0 Antelope Valley, 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.