QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.1md

Earthquake near Yosemite Lakes, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Yosemite Lakes in the 24 hours to 2:45 am PST (10:45 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 2.1 earthquake was recorded 12 km (7 mi) south of Yosemite Lakes, CA, at 4:46 am PST on 6 December 2021 (12:46 UTC), 11 km deep.

USGS: 12km S of Yosemite Lakes, CA

34 km (21 mi) N of Fresno, CA · 29 km (18 mi) ENE of Madera, CA

4:46 am PST, Dec 6, 2021 · · 11 km deep · released about 44 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Madera County 14 kmFresno County 38 kmMariposa County 55 kmMerced County 83 kmTuolumne County 105 kmKings County 113 kmStanislaus County 119 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 am PST on 6 December 2021 ()
Where
12 km (7 mi) south of Yosemite Lakes, CA · earthquakes near Yosemite Lakes
Magnitude
M 2.1 (md)
Depth
11 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Madera County, 14 km NNE
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1630 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. In Yosemite Lakes, 12 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: Yosemite Lakes 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 44 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 5.8 340,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 240,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 22× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.1 about 44 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 37.0888, -119.7933. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Madera County, CA 14 km (9 mi) NNE earthquakes near Madera County
Fresno County, CA 38 km (24 mi) SSE earthquakes near Fresno County
Mariposa County, CA 55 km (34 mi) N earthquakes near Mariposa County
Merced County, CA 83 km (52 mi) W earthquakes near Merced County
Tuolumne County, CA 105 km (65 mi) N earthquakes near Tuolumne County
Kings County, CA 113 km (70 mi) S earthquakes near Kings 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. 2.0 5km ENE of Bonadelle Ranchos-Madera Ranchos, CA
  2. 2.1 17km SSW of Mariposa, CA
  3. 2.2 7km ENE of Bonadelle Ranchos-Madera Ranchos, CA
  4. 2.0 5km ENE of Bonadelle Ranchos-Madera Ranchos, CA
  5. 2.2 3km NW of Sanger, CA
  6. 1.8 5km E of Bonadelle Ranchos-Madera Ranchos, CA
  7. 2.1 6km ESE of Coarsegold, CA
  8. 1.7 8km SSE of Bootjack, CA
  9. 2.1 6km ENE of Bonadelle Ranchos-Madera Ranchos, CA
  10. 2.1 20km ENE of Le Grand, CA
  11. 2.0 6km NW of Friant, CA
  12. 2.5 21km S of Mariposa, CA
  13. 2.1 5km ENE of Bonadelle Ranchos-Madera Ranchos, CA
  14. 2.1 6km ENE of Bonadelle Ranchos-Madera Ranchos, CA
  15. 2.2 12km N of Madera Acres, 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.