QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.8ml

Earthquake near Spanish Springs, NV

No earthquake was likely felt in Spanish Springs in the 24 hours to 5:01 am PST (13:01 UTC). The last one was M 1.6, 8 km (5 mi) WSW, at 7:27 pm PDT on 24 September 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Spanish Springs

This page: a magnitude 2.8 earthquake was recorded 38 km (23 mi) north-northeast of Spanish Springs, NV, at 9:28 am PDT on 11 April 2019 (16:28 UTC), 11 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 3 km ENE of Sutcliffe, Nevada

53 km (33 mi) NNE of Reno, NV · 46 km (28 mi) NNE of Sparks, NV

9:28 am PDT, Apr 11, 2019 · · 11 km deep · released about 480 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Storey County 59 kmWashoe County 85 kmCarson City 92 kmSierra County 93 kmPlumas County 108 kmLyon County 110 kmPershing County 111 kmDouglas 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
9:28 am PDT on 11 April 2019 ()
Where
38 km (23 mi) north-northeast of Spanish Springs, NV · earthquakes near Spanish Springs
Magnitude
M 2.8 (ml)
Depth
11 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
Storey County, 59 km S
Nearest mapped fault
Warm Springs Valley fault, 17 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 2703 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 25 km (16 mi) from the epicentre. In Spanish Springs, 38 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.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 480 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.8 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 32,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 22,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 2× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.8 about 480 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 lists 4 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km:

  1. 5.6 6 km NNE of Doyle, California · 45 km WNW of this epicentre
  2. 5.5 7 km N of Wadsworth, Nevada · 37 km SE of this epicentre
  3. 5.3 4 km S of Doyle, California · 47 km W of this epicentre
  4. 5.0 35 km ENE of Nixon, Nevada · 48 km E 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 39.9672, -119.5613. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Storey County, NV 59 km (37 mi) S earthquakes near Storey County
Washoe County, NV 85 km (53 mi) N earthquakes near Washoe County
Carson City, NV 92 km (57 mi) S earthquakes near Carson City
Sierra County, CA 93 km (58 mi) WSW earthquakes near Sierra County
Plumas County, CA 108 km (67 mi) W earthquakes near Plumas County
Lyon County, NV 110 km (68 mi) SSE earthquakes near Lyon County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.5 8 km NNW of Sutcliffe, Nevada
  2. 1.5 Nevada
  3. 1.5 13 km NNW of Sutcliffe, Nevada
  4. 2.8 9 km NNW of Sutcliffe, Nevada
  5. 1.8 9 km N of Sutcliffe, Nevada
  6. 1.6 8 km N of Sutcliffe, Nevada
  7. 1.7 9 km NNW of Sutcliffe, Nevada
  8. 1.9 9 km NNW of Sutcliffe, Nevada
  9. 1.8 9 km NNW of Sutcliffe, Nevada
  10. 2.2 8 km NNW of Sutcliffe, Nevada
  11. 1.6 8 km NNW of Sutcliffe, Nevada
  12. 1.5 4 km WNW of Wadsworth, Nevada
  13. 1.6 2 km W of Sun Valley, Nevada
  14. 1.5 2 km SE of Golden Valley, Nevada
  15. 1.7 7km NNW of Cold Springs, NV

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.