QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.9md

Earthquake near Truckee, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Truckee in the 24 hours to 6:31 am PST (14:31 UTC). The last one was M 3.3, 49 km (31 mi) S, at 3:00 am PDT on 2 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 532 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Truckee

This page: a magnitude 1.9 earthquake was recorded 44 km (27 mi) west-northwest of Truckee, CA, at 11:22 am PDT on 25 April 2021 (18:22 UTC), 8.4 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 22km SSW of Whitehawk, CA

66 km (41 mi) W of Reno, NV

11:22 am PDT, Apr 25, 2021 · · 8.4 km deep · released about 23 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Truckee Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Sierra County 10 kmNevada County 29 kmPlacer County 53 kmPlumas County 54 kmYuba County 68 kmEl Dorado County 83 kmButte County 85 kmCarson City 86 kmStorey County 95 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
11:22 am PDT on 25 April 2021 ()
Where
44 km (27 mi) west-northwest of Truckee, CA · earthquakes near Truckee
Magnitude
M 1.9 (md)
Depth
8.4 km below the surface
Felt
1 report
Nearest
Sierra County, 10 km ENE
Nearest mapped fault
Mohawk Valley fault, 18 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 2016 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 12 km (7 mi) from the epicentre. In Truckee, 44 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.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 23 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 5.8 660,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 470,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 42× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.9 about 23 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. 6.0 6 km WNW of Verdi, California · 47 km E of this epicentre
  2. 5.9 West of Downieville, California · 33 km W of this epicentre
  3. 5.9 9 km NW of Truckee, California · 35 km ESE of this epicentre
  4. 5.6 5 km NE of Loyalton, California · 42 km ENE of this epicentre
  5. 5.3 11 km N of Soda Springs, California · 22 km ESE 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 39.5300, -120.6225. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Sierra County, CA 10 km (6 mi) ENE earthquakes near Sierra County
Nevada County, CA 29 km (18 mi) SSW earthquakes near Nevada County
Placer County, CA 53 km (33 mi) S earthquakes near Placer County
Plumas County, CA 54 km (34 mi) NNW earthquakes near Plumas County
Yuba County, CA 68 km (43 mi) WSW earthquakes near Yuba County
El Dorado County, CA 83 km (52 mi) S 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. 2.1 16km WSW of Loyalton, CA
  2. 2.2 26km W of Sunnyside-Tahoe City, CA
  3. 2.1 24km SSW of Loyalton, CA
  4. 2.2 10km N of Truckee, CA
  5. 2.3 10km WNW of Little Grass Valley, CA
  6. 1.5 2 km SE of Spring Garden, California
  7. 1.5 3 km WNW of Sierra City, California
  8. 2.2 9km E of Little Grass Valley, CA
  9. 1.9 4km E of Truckee, CA
  10. 2.7 4km E of Truckee, CA
  11. 2.2 4km E of Truckee, CA
  12. 1.5 1 km ESE of C-Road, California
  13. 2.0 14km SSW of Loyalton, CA
  14. 1.5 3 km SSE of Greenhorn, California
  15. 2.2 3km WSW of Cromberg, 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.