Earthquake near Mesquite, NV

USGS: 32 km SSE of Bunkerville, Nevada

10:21 am PDT, May 18, 2016 · 2016-05-18 17:21 UTC · 0.0 km deep · released about 30 lb of TNT

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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: 10:21 am PDT on 18 May 2016 (2016-05-18 17:21 UTC)
Where: 35 km (22 mi) S of Mesquite, NV · earthquakes near Mesquite
Magnitude: M 2.0 (ml)
Depth: 0.0 km below the surface
Felt: no reports yet
Nearest: Mohave County, 90 km SSE
Status: Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS 3014 days ago · we first saw it 3014 days ago

A magnitude 2.0 earthquake was recorded 35 km (22 mi) S of Mesquite, NV, at 10:21 am PDT on 18 May 2016 (17:21 UTC). This was a minor earthquake. Quakes this small are rarely felt and do not cause damage.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 30 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.0 would have released about 32 times as much.

Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 500,000× the energy of this one
Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 350,000× the energy of this one
Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 32× the energy of this one
This earthquake M 2.0 about 30 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

Map loads when it scrolls into view

Epicentre 36.4975, -114.0045. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

Place	Distance	Direction from the epicentre
Mohave County, AZ	90 km (56 mi)	SSE	earthquakes near Mohave County
Clark County, NV	96 km (60 mi)	WSW	earthquakes near Clark County
Washington County, UT	97 km (60 mi)	NNE	earthquakes near Washington County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

1.6 16 km SE of Moapa Valley, Nevada 11:06 UTC
1.9 25 km ESE of Littlefield, Arizona 22:47 UTC
2.6 32 km SSE of Moapa Valley, Nevada 17:26 UTC
2.6 56 km SE of Scenic, Arizona 17:01 UTC
2.2 Nevada 05:33 UTC
1.6 5 km NNE of Mesquite, Nevada 17:26 UTC
2.4 Arizona 07:29 UTC
4.4 45 km ESE of Littlefield, Arizona 21:18 UTC
1.9 53 km ESE of Scenic, Arizona 21:40 UTC
2.1 22 km SSE of Moapa Valley, Nevada 20:38 UTC
2.7 35 km SSE of Moapa Valley, Nevada 23:57 UTC
1.9 20 km SSE of Moapa Valley, Nevada 16:05 UTC
1.9 4 km N of Beaver Dam, Arizona 10:55 UTC
1.8 35 km S of Scenic, Arizona 10:58 UTC
1.6 Arizona 07:06 UTC

Counted from the QuakeIndex database, which ingests the USGS feed every 30 seconds · as of 02:17 UTC. QuakeIndex does not forecast aftershocks. When USGS issues an operational aftershock forecast it appears on the USGS event page.

On USGS

The official USGS event page — the source of record for every value above
Did you feel it? Report it to USGS — reports go to USGS, not to us
ShakeMap for this event, when USGS has produced one

QuakeIndex does not issue warnings. For earthquake early warning see ShakeAlert.