QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.2md

Earthquake near Chowchilla, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Chowchilla in the 24 hours to 6:47 pm PST (02:47 UTC). The last one was M 2.6, 20 km (13 mi) SE, at 5:14 am PDT on 29 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Chowchilla

This page: a magnitude 2.2 earthquake was recorded 10 km (6 mi) southwest of Chowchilla, CA, at 12:47 am PDT on 25 July 2025 (07:47 UTC), 22 km deep.

USGS: 10 km WSW of Chowchilla, CA

59 km (37 mi) WNW of Fresno, CA · 26 km (16 mi) WNW of Madera, CA

12:47 am PDT, Jul 25, 2025 · · 22 km deep · released about 62 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Merced County 36 kmMadera County 56 kmMariposa County 68 kmFresno County 71 kmStanislaus County 79 kmSan Benito County 83 kmTuolumne County 111 kmSanta Clara County 120 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
12:47 am PDT on 25 July 2025 ()
Where
10 km (6 mi) southwest of Chowchilla, CA · earthquakes near Chowchilla
Magnitude
M 2.2 (md)
Depth
22 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Merced County, 36 km WNW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 472 days ago

This was a minor earthquake. Quakes this small are rarely felt and do not cause damage.

At this magnitude and depth it was probably too small to be felt, even directly above it. In Chowchilla, 10 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: Fairmead, Le Grand, Planada, Firebaugh, Madera Acres, Dos Palos.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 62 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 5.8 240,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 170,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 15× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.2 about 62 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 37.0720, -120.3525. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Merced County, CA 36 km (22 mi) WNW earthquakes near Merced County
Madera County, CA 56 km (35 mi) ENE earthquakes near Madera County
Mariposa County, CA 68 km (42 mi) NE earthquakes near Mariposa County
Fresno County, CA 71 km (44 mi) ESE earthquakes near Fresno County
Stanislaus County, CA 79 km (49 mi) NW earthquakes near Stanislaus County
San Benito County, CA 83 km (52 mi) SW earthquakes near San Benito County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.6 5 km WNW of Madera, CA
  2. 1.5 15 km WSW of Firebaugh, CA
  3. 1.8 14 km SSW of Bootjack, CA
  4. 2.0 7 km ENE of Bonadelle Ranchos-Madera Ranchos, CA
  5. 1.5 12 km SW of Mendota, CA
  6. 1.8 6 km ENE of Bonadelle Ranchos-Madera Ranchos, CA
  7. 2.7 8 km NW of Yosemite Lakes, CA
  8. 1.9 6 km ENE of Bonadelle Ranchos-Madera Ranchos, CA
  9. 2.2 15 km SSW of Fairmead, CA
  10. 1.7 6 km ENE of Bonadelle Ranchos-Madera Ranchos, CA
  11. 2.2 17 km NW of Yosemite Lakes, CA
  12. 2.1 17 km NW of Yosemite Lakes, CA
  13. 2.3 10 km WSW of Mariposa, CA
  14. 2.0 17 km SSW of South Dos Palos, CA
  15. 2.8 22 km SW of South Dos Palos, 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.