QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.1md

Earthquake near Quincy, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Quincy in the 24 hours to 6:04 am PST (14:04 UTC). The last one was M 2.3, 7 km (4 mi) NE, at 5:11 am PST on 7 November 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Quincy

This page: a magnitude 2.1 earthquake was recorded 8 km (5 mi) west-southwest of Quincy, CA, at 10:34 pm PDT on 21 September 2022 (05:34 UTC), 6.8 km deep.

USGS: 4km SE of Meadow Valley, CA

10:34 pm PDT, Sep 21, 2022 · · 6.8 km deep · released about 51 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Plumas County 20 kmButte County 56 kmSierra County 57 kmNevada County 71 kmYuba County 76 kmLassen County 96 kmPlacer County 98 kmTehama County 105 kmSutter County 113 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
10:34 pm PDT on 21 September 2022 ()
Where
8 km (5 mi) west-southwest of Quincy, CA · earthquakes near Quincy
Magnitude
M 2.1 (md)
Depth
6.8 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Plumas County, 20 km ENE
Nearest mapped fault
Indian Valley fault, 22 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 1511 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 16 km (10 mi) from the epicentre. In Quincy, 8 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: East Quincy 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 51 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 5.8 300,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 210,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 19× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.1 about 51 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 3 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km:

  1. 5.9 West of Downieville, California · 45 km S of this epicentre
  2. 5.7 2 km NNE of Canyondam, California · 32 km N of this epicentre
  3. 5.2 3 km N of Blairsden, California · 37 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 39.9067, -121.0328. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Plumas County, CA 20 km (13 mi) ENE earthquakes near Plumas County
Butte County, CA 56 km (35 mi) WSW earthquakes near Butte County
Sierra County, CA 57 km (35 mi) SE earthquakes near Sierra County
Nevada County, CA 71 km (44 mi) SSE earthquakes near Nevada County
Yuba County, CA 76 km (47 mi) SSW earthquakes near Yuba County
Lassen County, CA 96 km (60 mi) NNE earthquakes near Lassen County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.4 4km NW of Canyondam, CA
  2. 1.9 4km NNE of Prattville, CA
  3. 2.3 2km NE of Almanor, CA
  4. 2.4 2km NE of Almanor, CA
  5. 2.0 4km ESE of Prattville, CA
  6. 2.8 2km NNE of Prattville, CA
  7. 2.4 4km E of Prattville, CA
  8. 2.1 3km ENE of Prattville, CA
  9. 2.1 4km E of Prattville, CA
  10. 3.0 1km N of Prattville, CA
  11. 2.5 1km ENE of Almanor, CA
  12. 2.6 4km E of Prattville, CA
  13. 2.4 3km E of Prattville, CA
  14. 2.6 3km SSW of East Shore, CA
  15. 2.6 4km E of Prattville, 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.