QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.6md

Earthquake near Livermore, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Livermore in the 24 hours to 4:35 am PST (12:35 UTC). The last one was M 2.1, 12 km (8 mi) SE, at 8:52 am PDT on 27 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 1 felt report to USGS. Every earthquake near Livermore

This page: a magnitude 2.6 earthquake was recorded 17 km (10 mi) south-southeast of Livermore, CA, at 5:55 am PST on 6 December 2025 (13:55 UTC), 3.6 km deep. 10 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 17 km SSE of Livermore, CA

31 km (19 mi) NNE of San Jose, CA · 17 km (10 mi) SSE of Livermore, CA

5:55 am PST, Dec 6, 2025 · · 3.6 km deep · released about 230 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Alameda County 23 kmSanta Clara County 37 kmContra Costa County 47 kmSan Joaquin County 56 kmStanislaus County 60 kmSan Mateo County 63 kmSanta Cruz County 66 kmSolano County 83 kmMerced County 93 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
5:55 am PST on 6 December 2025 ()
Where
17 km (10 mi) south-southeast of Livermore, CA · earthquakes near Livermore
Magnitude
M 2.6 (md)
Depth
3.6 km below the surface
Felt
10 reports · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Alameda County, 23 km WNW
Nearest mapped fault
Greenville fault, 9 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 253 days ago

This was a small earthquake. Shaking like this is often felt indoors nearby and very rarely causes damage.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 23 km (14 mi) from the epicentre. In Livermore, 17 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.

Likely felt in: Livermore 17 km, intensity II · Pleasanton 21 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 230 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.6 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 65,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 46,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 4.1× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.6 about 230 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 5.1 on 2022-10-25 — about 5,100 times the energy of this one.

Before 2016, the USGS record lists 12 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 6.5 Near Morgan Hill, California · 49 km S of this epicentre
  2. 6.2 Near San Jose, California · 30 km SSW of this epicentre
  3. 6.2 The 1984 Morgan Hill, California Earthquake · 27 km S of this epicentre
  4. 6.1 Near San Jose, California · 40 km SSW of this epicentre
  5. 5.8 The 1980 Livermore, California Earthquake · 33 km NNW 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 37.5502, -121.6813. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Alameda County, CA 23 km (14 mi) WNW earthquakes near Alameda County
Santa Clara County, CA 37 km (23 mi) S earthquakes near Santa Clara County
Contra Costa County, CA 47 km (29 mi) NNW earthquakes near Contra Costa County
San Joaquin County, CA 56 km (35 mi) NE earthquakes near San Joaquin County
Stanislaus County, CA 60 km (37 mi) E earthquakes near Stanislaus County
San Mateo County, CA 63 km (39 mi) WSW earthquakes near San Mateo County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.3 4 km SE of San Ramon, CA
  2. 1.6 4 km SE of San Ramon, CA
  3. 2.0 4 km SE of San Ramon, CA
  4. 1.9 4 km SE of San Ramon, CA
  5. 1.8 5 km SE of San Ramon, CA
  6. 2.5 4 km SE of San Ramon, CA
  7. 2.2 4 km ESE of San Ramon, CA
  8. 1.8 11 km ENE of Milpitas, CA
  9. 1.5 4 km SE of San Ramon, CA
  10. 2.1 5 km SE of San Ramon, CA
  11. 2.2 4 km ESE of San Ramon, CA
  12. 2.5 4 km ESE of San Ramon, CA
  13. 2.6 4 km ESE of San Ramon, CA
  14. 2.2 4 km SE of San Ramon, CA
  15. 2.2 5 km SE of San Ramon, 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.