QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.2md

Earthquake near Fairmead, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Fairmead in the 24 hours to 11:03 pm PST (07:03 UTC). The last one was M 2.6, 13 km (8 mi) SE, at 5:14 am PDT on 29 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Fairmead

This page: a magnitude 2.2 earthquake was recorded 14 km (9 mi) south-southwest of Fairmead, CA, at 8:28 am PDT on 12 April 2022 (15:28 UTC), 19 km deep.

USGS: 14km SSW of Fairmead, CA

47 km (29 mi) WNW of Fresno, CA · 16 km (10 mi) W of Madera, CA

8:28 am PDT, Apr 12, 2022 · · 19 km deep · released about 60 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Merced County 48 kmMadera County 54 kmFresno County 59 kmMariposa County 75 kmSan Benito County 83 kmStanislaus County 93 kmKings County 107 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
8:28 am PDT on 12 April 2022 ()
Where
14 km (9 mi) south-southwest of Fairmead, CA · earthquakes near Fairmead
Magnitude
M 2.2 (md)
Depth
19 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Merced County, 48 km WNW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1674 days ago

This was a minor earthquake. Quakes this small are rarely felt and do not cause damage.

At this magnitude and depth it was probably too small to be felt, even directly above it. In Fairmead, 14 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: Chowchilla, Madera, Madera Acres, Parkwood, Firebaugh, Parksdale.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 60 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.2 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 250,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 180,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 16× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.2 about 60 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 36.9640, -120.2685. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Merced County, CA 48 km (30 mi) WNW earthquakes near Merced County
Madera County, CA 54 km (33 mi) ENE earthquakes near Madera County
Fresno County, CA 59 km (37 mi) ESE earthquakes near Fresno County
Mariposa County, CA 75 km (47 mi) NNE earthquakes near Mariposa County
San Benito County, CA 83 km (51 mi) WSW earthquakes near San Benito County
Stanislaus County, CA 93 km (58 mi) NW earthquakes near Stanislaus County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.4 21km S of Mariposa, CA
  2. 2.4 21km S of Mariposa, CA
  3. 1.7 5km ENE of Bonadelle Ranchos-Madera Ranchos, CA
  4. 2.0 5km ENE of Bonadelle Ranchos-Madera Ranchos, CA
  5. 2.2 20km SSW of Mariposa, CA
  6. 2.4 20km ENE of Le Grand, CA
  7. 1.7 22km ENE of Le Grand, CA
  8. 2.1 22km ENE of Le Grand, CA
  9. 1.6 7km NE of Bonadelle Ranchos-Madera Ranchos, CA
  10. 1.7 6km ENE of Bonadelle Ranchos-Madera Ranchos, CA
  11. 2.3 21km SSW of Bootjack, CA
  12. 2.1 12km SSW of Yosemite Lakes, CA
  13. 1.6 22km SSW of Bootjack, CA
  14. 2.1 6km ENE of Bonadelle Ranchos-Madera Ranchos, CA
  15. 2.2 17km SSW of South Dos Palos, 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.