QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.3md

Earthquake near Topaz Ranch Estates, NV

No earthquake was likely felt in Topaz Ranch Estates in the 24 hours to 9:35 am PST (17:35 UTC). The last one was M 2.3, 8 km (5 mi) SW, at 6:36 pm PDT on 29 September 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Topaz Ranch Estates

This page: a magnitude 2.3 earthquake was recorded 25 km (16 mi) south-southeast of Topaz Ranch Estates, NV, at 6:57 pm PST on 5 February 2022 (02:57 UTC), 3.6 km deep. 2 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 8km E of Walker, CA

6:57 pm PST, Feb 5, 2022 · · 3.6 km deep · released about 94 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Alpine County 37 kmDouglas County 46 kmLyon County 57 kmTuolumne County 75 kmCarson City 76 kmMono County 81 kmMineral County 85 kmStorey County 102 kmEl Dorado County 103 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
6:57 pm PST on 5 February 2022 ()
Where
25 km (16 mi) south-southeast of Topaz Ranch Estates, NV · earthquakes near Topaz Ranch Estates
Magnitude
M 2.3 (md)
Depth
3.6 km below the surface
Felt
2 reports · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
Alpine County, 37 km WNW
Nearest mapped fault
Antelope Valley fault, 2 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 1668 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 20 km (12 mi) from the epicentre. In Topaz Ranch Estates, 25 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.

Earthquakes near other towns within 30 km: Smith Valley.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 94 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.3 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 160,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 110,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 10× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.3 about 94 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

The largest earthquake within 50 km since 2016 was M 6.0 on 2021-07-08 — about 320,000 times the energy of this one.

Before 2016, the USGS record lists 7 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 6.1 4 km S of Carter Springs, Nevada · 40 km NW of this epicentre
  2. 5.2 23 km S of Walker, California · 27 km SSW of this epicentre
  3. 5.1 23 km E of Bridgeport, California · 46 km SE of this epicentre
  4. 5.1 19 km W of Bridgeport, California · 34 km S of this epicentre
  5. 5.1 8 km ESE of Mesa Vista, California · 39 km NW 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 38.5275, -119.3892. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Alpine County, CA 37 km (23 mi) WNW earthquakes near Alpine County
Douglas County, NV 46 km (29 mi) NNW earthquakes near Douglas County
Lyon County, NV 57 km (36 mi) NNE earthquakes near Lyon County
Tuolumne County, CA 75 km (47 mi) SW earthquakes near Tuolumne County
Carson City, NV 76 km (47 mi) NNW earthquakes near Carson City
Mono County, CA 81 km (51 mi) SSE earthquakes near Mono County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

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