QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.1md

Earthquake near Fairmead, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Fairmead in the 24 hours to 11:03 pm PST (07:03 UTC). The last one was M 2.6, 13 km (8 mi) SE, at 5:14 am PDT on 29 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Fairmead

This page: a magnitude 2.1 earthquake was recorded 10 km (6 mi) northeast of Fairmead, CA, at 5:26 pm PDT on 1 September 2020 (00:26 UTC), 17 km deep.

USGS: 10km NE of Fairmead, CA

47 km (29 mi) NW of Fresno, CA · 18 km (11 mi) N of Madera, CA

5:26 pm PDT, Sep 1, 2020 · · 17 km deep · released about 51 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Madera County 33 kmMariposa County 53 kmMerced County 55 kmFresno County 57 kmStanislaus County 93 kmTuolumne County 100 kmSan Benito County 104 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
5:26 pm PDT on 1 September 2020 ()
Where
10 km (6 mi) northeast of Fairmead, CA · earthquakes near Fairmead
Magnitude
M 2.1 (md)
Depth
17 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Madera County, 33 km ENE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2262 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 6 km (4 mi) from the epicentre. In Fairmead, 10 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: Madera Acres, Chowchilla, Le Grand, Madera, Parksdale, Parkwood.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 51 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 5.8 300,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 210,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 19× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.1 about 51 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 37.1267, -120.1057. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Madera County, CA 33 km (20 mi) ENE earthquakes near Madera County
Mariposa County, CA 53 km (33 mi) NNE earthquakes near Mariposa County
Merced County, CA 55 km (34 mi) W earthquakes near Merced County
Fresno County, CA 57 km (35 mi) SE earthquakes near Fresno County
Stanislaus County, CA 93 km (58 mi) WNW earthquakes near Stanislaus County
Tuolumne County, CA 100 km (62 mi) N earthquakes near Tuolumne 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. 2.0 7km NE of Bonadelle Ranchos-Madera Ranchos, CA
  2. 2.0 17km SSW of Bootjack, CA
  3. 2.0 8km W of North Fork, CA
  4. 2.2 7km SE of Fairmead, CA
  5. 2.5 6km NNW of Fresno, CA
  6. 2.1 12km WNW of Yosemite Lakes, CA
  7. 2.5 18km SSW of Mariposa, CA
  8. 1.5 7km NE of Bonadelle Ranchos-Madera Ranchos, CA
  9. 1.9 4km NE of Fairmead, CA
  10. 2.1 6km NE of Bonadelle Ranchos-Madera Ranchos, CA
  11. 2.1 0km SW of Yosemite Lakes, CA
  12. 2.1 12km S of Yosemite Lakes, CA
  13. 2.1 6km NE of Bonadelle Ranchos-Madera Ranchos, CA
  14. 1.7 7km W of Yosemite Lakes, CA
  15. 2.4 21km SSW of Bootjack, 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.