QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.9md

Earthquake near South Dos Palos, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in South Dos Palos in the 24 hours to 1:22 pm PST (21:22 UTC). The last one was M 3.9, 64 km (40 mi) SW, at 3:19 am PDT on 11 August 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 34 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near South Dos Palos

This page: a magnitude 1.9 earthquake was recorded 23 km (15 mi) southwest of South Dos Palos, CA, at 8:03 pm PDT on 12 May 2024 (03:03 UTC), 2.0 km deep.

USGS: 23 km SW of South Dos Palos, CA

8:03 pm PDT, May 12, 2024 · · 2.0 km deep · released about 23 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near South Dos Palos Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N San Benito County 32 kmMerced County 45 kmMonterey County 76 kmStanislaus County 86 kmSanta Clara County 90 kmFresno County 104 kmMadera County 105 kmSanta Cruz County 108 kmMariposa County 118 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
8:03 pm PDT on 12 May 2024 ()
Where
23 km (15 mi) southwest of South Dos Palos, CA · earthquakes near South Dos Palos
Magnitude
M 1.9 (md)
Depth
2.0 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
San Benito County, 32 km SW
Nearest mapped fault
Great Valley thrust fault system, 5 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 578 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 15 km (9 mi) from the epicentre. In South Dos Palos, 23 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: Dos Palos, Los Banos.

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

The largest earthquake within 50 km since 2016 was M 4.7 on 2019-10-15 — about 15,000 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 · 39 km SSE of this epicentre
  2. 5.9 10 km SE of Tres Pinos, California · 37 km WSW of this epicentre
  3. 5.8 Near Paicines, California · 41 km WSW of this epicentre
  4. 5.5 12 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 45 km WSW of this epicentre
  5. 5.5 3 km ENE of Tres Pinos, California · 42 km W 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 36.7997, -120.8187. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
San Benito County, CA 32 km (20 mi) SW earthquakes near San Benito County
Merced County, CA 45 km (28 mi) N earthquakes near Merced County
Monterey County, CA 76 km (47 mi) SW earthquakes near Monterey County
Stanislaus County, CA 86 km (54 mi) N earthquakes near Stanislaus County
Santa Clara County, CA 90 km (56 mi) WNW earthquakes near Santa Clara County
Fresno County, CA 104 km (64 mi) E earthquakes near Fresno County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.2 14 km SE of Tres Pinos, CA
  2. 1.5 4 km NNE of Pinnacles, CA
  3. 3.0 7 km NW of Pinnacles, CA
  4. 1.8 23 km ENE of Pinnacles, CA
  5. 1.5 16 km SSE of Tres Pinos, CA
  6. 1.7 9 km WNW of New Idria, CA
  7. 1.7 7 km SSE of Pinnacles, CA
  8. 1.6 10 km NNW of Pinnacles, CA
  9. 2.5 15 km W of Cantua Creek, CA
  10. 1.7 15 km W of Cantua Creek, CA
  11. 2.5 15 km W of Cantua Creek, CA
  12. 2.7 11 km NNE of Pinnacles, CA
  13. 1.7 15 km NNW of Pinnacles, CA
  14. 1.5 4 km SSW of New Idria, CA
  15. 1.6 8 km SE 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.