QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.9ml

Earthquake near Smith Valley, NV

No earthquake was likely felt in Smith Valley in the 24 hours to 3:49 pm PST (23:49 UTC). The last one was M 2.0, 7 km (4 mi) SSW, at 5:40 am PDT on 9 September 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Smith Valley

This page: a magnitude 1.9 earthquake was recorded 5 km (3 mi) south-southwest of Smith Valley, NV, at 8:44 pm PST on 13 January 2021 (04:44 UTC), 8.9 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 4 km SSW of Smith Valley, Nevada

98 km (61 mi) SSE of Reno, NV · 55 km (34 mi) SE of Carson, NV

8:44 pm PST, Jan 13, 2021 · · 8.9 km deep · released about 21 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Smith Valley Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Douglas County 27 kmLyon County 34 kmAlpine County 39 kmCarson City 55 kmStorey County 78 kmMineral County 87 kmTuolumne County 96 kmEl Dorado County 101 kmMono County 102 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
8:44 pm PST on 13 January 2021 ()
Where
5 km (3 mi) south-southwest of Smith Valley, NV · earthquakes near Smith Valley
Magnitude
M 1.9 (ml)
Depth
8.9 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Douglas County, 27 km NW
Nearest mapped fault
Antelope Valley fault, 13 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 1953 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 12 km (7 mi) from the epicentre. In Smith Valley, 5 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: Topaz Ranch Estates 11 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 21 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 5.8 710,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 500,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 45× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.9 about 21 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 8 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 6.1 22 km SSE of Stagecoach, Nevada · 48 km N of this epicentre
  2. 6.1 4 km S of Carter Springs, Nevada · 25 km WNW of this epicentre
  3. 5.5 California-Nevada border region · 32 km NNE of this epicentre
  4. 5.5 13 km NW of Schurz, Nevada · 50 km NE of this epicentre
  5. 5.4 13 km NNE of Yerington, Nevada · 46 km NNE 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 38.7468, -119.3761. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Douglas County, NV 27 km (17 mi) NW earthquakes near Douglas County
Lyon County, NV 34 km (21 mi) NNE earthquakes near Lyon County
Alpine County, CA 39 km (24 mi) WSW earthquakes near Alpine County
Carson City, NV 55 km (34 mi) NW earthquakes near Carson City
Storey County, NV 78 km (48 mi) N earthquakes near Storey County
Mineral County, NV 87 km (54 mi) ESE earthquakes near Mineral County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.0 30km ENE of Dardanelle, CA
  2. 2.4 29km SE of Markleeville, CA
  3. 2.5 32km ENE of Dardanelle, CA
  4. 2.2 34km ENE of Dardanelle, CA
  5. 2.6 31km ENE of Dardanelle, CA
  6. 2.5 5 km W of Walker, California
  7. 3.8 28km SE of Markleeville, CA
  8. 2.7 29km ENE of Dardanelle, CA
  9. 3.5 28km ESE of Markleeville, CA
  10. 2.8 31km ENE of Dardanelle, CA
  11. 2.8 30km ENE of Dardanelle, CA
  12. 2.3 29km SE of Markleeville, CA
  13. 2.7 31km ENE of Dardanelle, CA
  14. 2.8 30km SE of Markleeville, CA
  15. 2.9 30km NE of Dardanelle, 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.