QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.9ml

Earthquake near Spanish Springs, NV

No earthquake was likely felt in Spanish Springs in the 24 hours to 2:45 am PST (10:45 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 1.9 earthquake was recorded 6 km (4 mi) northwest of Spanish Springs, NV, at 7:49 am PDT on 12 October 2022 (14:49 UTC), 12 km deep.

USGS: 5 km NW of Spanish Springs, Nevada

18 km (11 mi) NNE of Reno, NV · 13 km (8 mi) NNW of Sparks, NV

7:49 am PDT, Oct 12, 2022 · · 12 km deep · released about 21 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Spanish Springs Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Storey County 34 kmCarson City 60 kmSierra County 67 kmDouglas County 88 kmLyon County 88 kmPlumas County 98 kmNevada County 98 kmPlacer County 109 kmWashoe County 116 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
7:49 am PDT on 12 October 2022 ()
Where
6 km (4 mi) northwest of Spanish Springs, NV · earthquakes near Spanish Springs
Magnitude
M 1.9 (ml)
Depth
12 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Storey County, 34 km SE
Nearest mapped fault
Spanish Springs Valley fault, 2 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 1493 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 9 km (6 mi) from the epicentre. In Spanish Springs, 6 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: Spanish Springs 6 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 9 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 6.4 Near Fernley, Nevada · 39 km ESE of this epicentre
  2. 6.0 Near Reno, Nevada · 21 km SSW of this epicentre
  3. 6.0 6 km WNW of Verdi, California · 32 km WSW of this epicentre
  4. 5.6 5 km NE of Loyalton, California · 39 km W of this epicentre
  5. 5.5 7 km N of Wadsworth, Nevada · 38 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 39.6892, -119.7497. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Storey County, NV 34 km (21 mi) SE earthquakes near Storey County
Carson City, NV 60 km (37 mi) S earthquakes near Carson City
Sierra County, CA 67 km (42 mi) W earthquakes near Sierra County
Douglas County, NV 88 km (55 mi) S earthquakes near Douglas County
Lyon County, NV 88 km (55 mi) SSE earthquakes near Lyon County
Plumas County, CA 98 km (61 mi) WNW earthquakes near Plumas County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.6 5 km SSE of Floriston, California
  2. 2.8 6 km S of Cold Springs, Nevada
  3. 1.5 15 km WNW of Wadsworth, Nevada
  4. 2.4 7 km S of Cold Springs, Nevada
  5. 1.6 7 km S of Cold Springs, Nevada
  6. 1.6 7 km S of Cold Springs, Nevada
  7. 1.6 7 km S of Cold Springs, Nevada
  8. 2.4 9km NNW of Loyalton, CA
  9. 2.3 7 km S of Cold Springs, Nevada
  10. 1.6 7 km S of Cold Springs, Nevada
  11. 1.6 6 km S of Cold Springs, Nevada
  12. 2.0 Nevada
  13. 2.6 7 km S of Cold Springs, Nevada
  14. 2.0 6 km S of Cold Springs, Nevada
  15. 1.8 6 km S of Cold Springs, Nevada

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.