QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.0md

Earthquake near Los Banos, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Los Banos in the 24 hours to 4:29 pm PST (00:29 UTC). The last one was M 3.1, 36 km (22 mi) WNW, at 9:18 pm PDT on 21 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 9 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Los Banos

This page: a magnitude 2.0 earthquake was recorded 50 km (31 mi) south-southeast of Los Banos, CA, at 10:18 pm PDT on 13 March 2023 (05:18 UTC), 9.6 km deep.

USGS: 24km N of New Idria, CA

10:18 pm PDT, Mar 13, 2023 · · 9.6 km deep · released about 26 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Los Banos Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N San Benito County 36 kmMerced County 63 kmMonterey County 71 kmFresno County 93 kmKings County 99 kmMadera County 105 kmStanislaus County 108 kmSanta Clara County 111 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
10:18 pm PDT on 13 March 2023 ()
Where
50 km (31 mi) south-southeast of Los Banos, CA · earthquakes near Los Banos
Magnitude
M 2.0 (md)
Depth
9.6 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
San Benito County, 36 km W
Nearest mapped fault
Great Valley thrust fault system, 3 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 1338 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 12 km (7 mi) from the epicentre. In Los Banos, 50 km away, the estimate is intensity I (not felt). 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.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 26 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.0 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 580,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 410,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 36× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.0 about 26 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 4.3 on 2021-01-02 — about 3,500 times the energy of this one.

Before 2016, the USGS record lists 9 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 6.1 Northwest of Huron, California · 16 km SSE of this epicentre
  2. 5.9 10 km SE of Tres Pinos, California · 50 km WNW of this epicentre
  3. 5.8 29 km NE of San Lucas, California · 38 km SSW of this epicentre
  4. 5.4 22 km SSW of Three Rocks, California · 38 km SSE of this epicentre
  5. 5.4 11 km NNW of Coalinga, California · 50 km SSE 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 36.6300, -120.6813. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
San Benito County, CA 36 km (22 mi) W earthquakes near San Benito County
Merced County, CA 63 km (39 mi) N earthquakes near Merced County
Monterey County, CA 71 km (44 mi) SW earthquakes near Monterey County
Fresno County, CA 93 km (58 mi) E earthquakes near Fresno County
Kings County, CA 99 km (62 mi) SE earthquakes near Kings County
Madera County, CA 105 km (65 mi) NE earthquakes near Madera 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. 1.9 1km N of Pinnacles, CA
  2. 1.5 4km SW of New Idria, CA
  3. 1.6 12km SE of Pinnacles, CA
  4. 2.1 14km ESE of Tres Pinos, CA
  5. 1.9 20km SW of New Idria, CA
  6. 2.2 11km SE of Pinnacles, CA
  7. 2.1 31km SW of South Dos Palos, CA
  8. 1.9 9km ENE of Pinnacles, CA
  9. 2.1 22km ENE of San Lucas, CA
  10. 1.6 11km SE of Pinnacles, CA
  11. 1.7 3km N of Pinnacles, CA
  12. 1.9 1km NNE of Pinnacles, CA
  13. 1.9 2km NNE of Pinnacles, CA
  14. 2.8 2km NNE of Pinnacles, CA
  15. 2.0 3km NNW of Pinnacles, 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.