QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.5md

Earthquake near Yosemite Lakes, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Yosemite Lakes in the 24 hours to 11:36 pm PST (07:36 UTC). The last one was M 1.8, 11 km (7 mi) S, at 2:53 pm PDT on 27 August 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Yosemite Lakes

This page: a magnitude 1.5 earthquake was recorded in Yosemite Lakes, CA, at 8:56 am PST on 13 February 2021 (16:56 UTC), 21 km deep.

USGS: 1km E of Yosemite Lakes, CA

45 km (28 mi) N of Fresno, CA · 38 km (24 mi) NE of Madera, CA

8:56 am PST, Feb 13, 2021 · · 21 km deep · released about 5.7 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Madera County 2 kmMariposa County 45 kmFresno County 49 kmMerced County 85 kmTuolumne County 94 kmMono County 112 kmStanislaus County 117 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
8:56 am PST on 13 February 2021 ()
Where
in Yosemite Lakes, CA · earthquakes near Yosemite Lakes
Magnitude
M 1.5 (md)
Depth
21 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Madera County, 2 km NNE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2090 days ago

This was a minor earthquake. Quakes this small are rarely felt and do not cause damage.

At this magnitude and depth it was probably too small to be felt, even directly above it. 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: Coarsegold, Oakhurst, Ahwahnee, Bonadelle Ranchos-Madera Ranchos, Auberry.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 5.7 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.5 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 2,600,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 1,900,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 170× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.5 about 5.7 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 37.1910, -119.7600. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Madera County, CA 2 km (1 mi) NNE earthquakes near Madera County
Mariposa County, CA 45 km (28 mi) NNW earthquakes near Mariposa County
Fresno County, CA 49 km (30 mi) S earthquakes near Fresno County
Merced County, CA 85 km (53 mi) W earthquakes near Merced County
Tuolumne County, CA 94 km (58 mi) N earthquakes near Tuolumne County
Mono County, CA 112 km (70 mi) NE earthquakes near Mono County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.1 20km S of Auberry, CA
  2. 2.3 6km SE of Shaver Lake, CA
  3. 1.9 18km SSW of Bootjack, CA
  4. 2.1 19km E of Le Grand, CA
  5. 2.1 21km SSW of Mariposa, CA
  6. 1.6 22km NE of North Fork, CA
  7. 2.2 29km NE of Oakhurst, CA
  8. 2.2 5km SW of North Fork, CA
  9. 2.1 18km SSW of Mariposa, CA
  10. 1.9 1km SW of Mariposa, CA
  11. 2.1 29km ENE of Oakhurst, CA
  12. 1.5 29km NE of Oakhurst, CA
  13. 1.5 29km NE of Oakhurst, CA
  14. 1.9 7km NE of Bonadelle Ranchos-Madera Ranchos, CA
  15. 1.6 7km NE of Bonadelle Ranchos-Madera Ranchos, 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.