QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.2md

Earthquake near Fresno, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Fresno in the 24 hours to 5:48 pm PST (01:48 UTC). The last one was M 1.8, 8 km (5 mi) ESE, at 8:23 am PST on 27 February 2025, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Fresno

This page: a magnitude 2.2 earthquake was recorded 30 km (18 mi) north of Fresno, CA, at 12:55 pm PDT on 16 October 2023 (19:55 UTC), 8.9 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 5 km NW of Friant, CA

26 km (16 mi) N of Fresno, CA · 22 km (14 mi) NNW of Clovis, CA

12:55 pm PDT, Oct 16, 2023 · · 8.9 km deep · released about 56 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Madera County 22 kmFresno County 30 kmMariposa County 64 kmMerced County 87 kmKings County 105 kmTuolumne 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
12:55 pm PDT on 16 October 2023 ()
Where
30 km (18 mi) north of Fresno, CA · earthquakes near Fresno
Magnitude
M 2.2 (md)
Depth
8.9 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity I
Nearest
Madera County, 22 km N
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1122 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 Fresno, 30 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: Bonadelle Ranchos-Madera Ranchos, Yosemite Lakes, Clovis, Parksdale, Old Fig Garden, Tarpey Village.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 56 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 5.8 270,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 190,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 17× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.2 about 56 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 37.0138, -119.7640. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Madera County, CA 22 km (14 mi) N earthquakes near Madera County
Fresno County, CA 30 km (18 mi) SSE earthquakes near Fresno County
Mariposa County, CA 64 km (40 mi) NNW earthquakes near Mariposa County
Merced County, CA 87 km (54 mi) WNW earthquakes near Merced County
Kings County, CA 105 km (65 mi) S earthquakes near Kings County
Tuolumne County, CA 113 km (70 mi) N earthquakes near Tuolumne County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.7 8 km WNW of Yosemite Lakes, CA
  2. 2.1 7 km SSE of Oakhurst, CA
  3. 2.2 21 km E of Le Grand, CA
  4. 2.7 19 km SSW of Bootjack, CA
  5. 2.4 9 km S of Shaver Lake, CA
  6. 2.2 3 km ESE of Bonadelle Ranchos-Madera Ranchos, CA
  7. 2.0 7 km E of Friant, CA
  8. 1.9 4 km E of Yosemite Lakes, CA
  9. 2.0 4 km ESE of Bonadelle Ranchos-Madera Ranchos, CA
  10. 2.3 11 km NNE of Bonadelle Ranchos-Madera Ranchos, CA
  11. 2.9 5 km W of Parkwood, CA
  12. 1.9 6 km E of Bonadelle Ranchos-Madera Ranchos, CA
  13. 2.3 15 km SW of Mariposa, CA
  14. 1.9 22 km SW of Bootjack, CA
  15. 2.2 6 km SW of Yosemite Lakes, 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.