QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.7md

Earthquake near Newman, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Newman in the 24 hours to 10:26 pm PST (06:26 UTC). The last one was M 3.1, 24 km (15 mi) SW, at 9:18 pm PDT on 21 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 9 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Newman

This page: a magnitude 1.7 earthquake was recorded in Newman, CA, at 4:46 pm PDT on 7 April 2021 (23:46 UTC), less than 1 km deep.

USGS: 2km WNW of Newman, CA

69 km (43 mi) E of San Jose, CA · 26 km (16 mi) SW of Turlock, CA

4:46 pm PDT, Apr 7, 2021 · · 0.8 km deep · released about 12 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Stanislaus County 27 kmMerced County 31 kmSanta Clara County 59 kmSan Joaquin County 71 kmSan Benito County 79 kmAlameda County 85 kmSanta Cruz County 92 kmMariposa County 103 kmContra Costa 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
4:46 pm PDT on 7 April 2021 ()
Where
in Newman, CA · earthquakes near Newman
Magnitude
M 1.7 (md)
Depth
0.8 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Stanislaus County, 27 km N
Nearest mapped fault
Great Valley thrust fault system, 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 2044 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 13 km (8 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: Newman in town, intensity II · Gustine 8 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 12 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.7 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 1,300,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 900,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 80× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.7 about 12 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 one earthquake of M5 or more within 50 km:

  1. 5.8 The 1979 Coyote Lake, California Earthquake · 48 km WSW 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 37.3202, -121.0390. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Stanislaus County, CA 27 km (17 mi) N earthquakes near Stanislaus County
Merced County, CA 31 km (19 mi) ESE earthquakes near Merced County
Santa Clara County, CA 59 km (36 mi) W earthquakes near Santa Clara County
San Joaquin County, CA 71 km (44 mi) NNW earthquakes near San Joaquin County
San Benito County, CA 79 km (49 mi) S earthquakes near San Benito County
Alameda County, CA 85 km (53 mi) WNW earthquakes near Alameda County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.4 9km ENE of Morgan Hill, CA
  2. 2.3 23km SW of Los Banos, CA
  3. 1.6 23km WSW of Patterson, CA
  4. 2.2 16km W of Los Banos, CA
  5. 1.7 27km NE of Hollister, CA
  6. 2.1 26km SW of Gustine, CA
  7. 2.7 9km ENE of Morgan Hill, CA
  8. 2.1 12km ENE of Morgan Hill, CA
  9. 1.8 10km ENE of Morgan Hill, CA
  10. 1.9 22km NE of Morgan Hill, CA
  11. 2.1 12km NNE of Hollister, CA
  12. 2.4 6km NNE of Los Banos, CA
  13. 2.1 5km NNE of Los Banos, CA
  14. 2.0 5km NNE of Los Banos, CA
  15. 1.9 6km NNE of Los Banos, 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.