QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 3.5mw

Earthquake near South Lake Tahoe, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in South Lake Tahoe in the 24 hours to 10:40 am PST (18:40 UTC). The last one was M 2.9, 10 km (6 mi) WSW, at 11:58 pm PDT on 2 October 2026, estimated intensity III (weak) in town; 85 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near South Lake Tahoe

This page: a magnitude 3.5 earthquake was recorded 36 km (22 mi) south-southeast of South Lake Tahoe, CA, at 5:41 pm PST on 1 February 2022 (01:41 UTC), less than 1 km deep. 104 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 4km SSE of Markleeville, CA

55 km (34 mi) S of Carson, NV · 148 km (92 mi) E of Sacramento, CA

5:41 pm PST, Feb 1, 2022 · · -1.1 km deep · released about 2.4 tons of TNT

Every earthquake near South Lake Tahoe Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Alpine County 4 kmDouglas County 31 kmCarson City 55 kmLyon County 64 kmEl Dorado County 68 kmTuolumne County 72 kmAmador County 80 kmCalaveras County 85 kmStorey County 90 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
5:41 pm PST on 1 February 2022 ()
Where
36 km (22 mi) south-southeast of South Lake Tahoe, CA · earthquakes near South Lake Tahoe
Magnitude
M 3.5 (mw)
Depth
-1.1 km below the surface
Felt
104 reports · strongest reported intensity V
Measured shaking
intensity IV (ShakeMap)
Nearest
Alpine County, 4 km SSW
Nearest mapped fault
Genoa fault, 4 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 1672 days ago

This was a small earthquake. Shaking like this is often felt indoors nearby and very rarely causes damage.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 62 km (39 mi) from the epicentre. In South Lake Tahoe, 36 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: Topaz Ranch Estates 25 km, intensity III · Gardnerville Ranchos 26 km, intensity II · South Lake Tahoe 36 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 2.4 tons of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 4.5 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Northridge, California 1994 M 6.7 70,000× the energy of this one
  2. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 3,100× the energy of this one
  3. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 2,200× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 3.5 about 2.4 tons of TNT
  5. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 this one released 5.1× more

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

The largest earthquake within 50 km since 2016 was M 6.0 on 2021-07-08 — about 6,200 times the energy of this one.

Before 2016, the USGS record lists 6 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 6.1 4 km S of Carter Springs, Nevada · 21 km NNE of this epicentre
  2. 5.2 23 km S of Walker, California · 46 km SSE of this epicentre
  3. 5.1 10 km SE of South Lake Tahoe, California · 26 km NNW of this epicentre
  4. 5.1 8 km ESE of Mesa Vista, California · 15 km NNE of this epicentre
  5. 5.0 Near Coleville, California · 25 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 38.6553, -119.7725. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Alpine County, CA 4 km (3 mi) SSW earthquakes near Alpine County
Douglas County, NV 31 km (19 mi) NNE earthquakes near Douglas County
Carson City, NV 55 km (34 mi) N earthquakes near Carson City
Lyon County, NV 64 km (40 mi) NE earthquakes near Lyon County
El Dorado County, CA 68 km (42 mi) WNW earthquakes near El Dorado County
Tuolumne County, CA 72 km (45 mi) SSW earthquakes near Tuolumne County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.3 5km W of Walker, CA
  2. 2.6 5km W of Walker, CA
  3. 2.0 6km WSW of Walker, CA
  4. 2.2 5km W of Walker, CA
  5. 1.5 4 km NNE of Carter Springs, Nevada
  6. 1.5 6 km ENE of Walker, California
  7. 2.3 8km SSE of Walker, CA
  8. 2.3 4km W of Walker, CA
  9. 2.3 6km W of Walker, CA
  10. 2.5 5km W of Walker, CA
  11. 1.7 3 km N of Carter Springs, Nevada
  12. 2.3 5km W of Walker, CA
  13. 2.7 4km W of Walker, CA
  14. 2.3 5km W of Walker, CA
  15. 2.1 5km WNW of Walker, 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.