QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.9md

Earthquake near Los Banos, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Los Banos in the 24 hours to 10:56 pm PST (06:56 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 1.9 earthquake was recorded in Los Banos, CA, at 10:06 am PDT on 4 June 2023 (17:06 UTC), 5.7 km deep.

USGS: 1km WNW of Los Banos, CA

89 km (55 mi) ESE of San Jose, CA · 43 km (27 mi) SW of Merced, CA

10:06 am PDT, Jun 4, 2023 · · 5.7 km deep · released about 23 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Merced County 19 kmSan Benito County 54 kmStanislaus County 57 kmSanta Clara County 76 kmMadera County 100 kmMonterey County 100 kmMariposa County 101 kmSanta Cruz County 102 kmSan Joaquin County 104 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
10:06 am PDT on 4 June 2023 ()
Where
in Los Banos, CA · earthquakes near Los Banos
Magnitude
M 1.9 (md)
Depth
5.7 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Merced County, 19 km NE
Nearest mapped fault
Great Valley thrust fault system, 6 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 1255 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 14 km (9 mi) from the epicentre. 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: Los Banos in town, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 23 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.9 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 660,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 470,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 42× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.9 about 23 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 10 km SE of Tres Pinos, California · 49 km SW of this epicentre
  2. 5.5 3 km ENE of Tres Pinos, California · 47 km SW of this epicentre
  3. 5.1 1 km NE of Tres Pinos, California · 50 km SW 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 37.0598, -120.8580. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Merced County, CA 19 km (12 mi) NE earthquakes near Merced County
San Benito County, CA 54 km (33 mi) SSW earthquakes near San Benito County
Stanislaus County, CA 57 km (36 mi) NNW earthquakes near Stanislaus County
Santa Clara County, CA 76 km (47 mi) WNW earthquakes near Santa Clara County
Madera County, CA 100 km (62 mi) E earthquakes near Madera County
Monterey County, CA 100 km (62 mi) SSW earthquakes near Monterey County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.7 5 km SE of Tres Pinos, CA
  2. 1.6 10 km NNE of Hollister, CA
  3. 1.6 19km SW of Gustine, CA
  4. 1.8 9km ENE of Hollister, CA
  5. 2.1 19km SW of Gustine, CA
  6. 1.8 18km SSW of South Dos Palos, CA
  7. 1.6 20km SW of Gustine, CA
  8. 2.0 3km WNW of Los Banos, CA
  9. 2.1 4km WNW of Los Banos, 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.