QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 4.7mww

Earthquake near Wells, NV

No earthquake was likely felt in Wells in the 24 hours to 12:47 am PST (08:47 UTC). The last one was M 4.8, 147 km (91 mi) W, at 11:59 am PDT on 30 August 2025, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 55 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Wells

This page: a magnitude 4.7 earthquake was recorded 25 km (16 mi) south of Wells, NV, at 10:21 am PDT on 31 August 2021 (17:21 UTC), 7.5 km deep. 278 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 25 km S of Wells, Nevada

10:21 am PDT, Aug 31, 2021 · · 7.5 km deep · released about 170 tons of TNT

Every earthquake near Wells Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Elko County 43 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
10:21 am PDT on 31 August 2021 ()
Where
25 km (16 mi) south of Wells, NV · earthquakes near Wells
Magnitude
M 4.7 (mww)
Depth
7.5 km below the surface
Felt
278 reports · strongest reported intensity V
Measured shaking
intensity VI (ShakeMap)
USGS impact alert
green
Nearest
Elko County, 43 km NW
Nearest mapped fault
Ruby Mountains fault, 25 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 1833 days ago

This was a light earthquake. It is usually felt clearly nearby and can rattle windows and dishes, but damage is uncommon.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 159 km (99 mi) from the epicentre. In Wells, 25 km away, the estimate is intensity IV (light). 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: Wells 25 km, intensity IV. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 170 tons of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 5.7 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Northridge, California 1994 M 6.7 1,000× the energy of this one
  2. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 45× the energy of this one
  3. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 32× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 4.7 about 170 tons of TNT
  5. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 this one released 350× more

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 (31 mi) since our catalogue begins in 2016. No other earthquake of M4 or more has been recorded this close in that time.

Before 2016, the USGS record lists 2 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km:

  1. 5.9 8 km ENE of Wells, Nevada · 30 km NNE of this epicentre
  2. 5.1 10 km ENE of Wells, Nevada · 30 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 40.8826, -114.9740. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Elko County, NV 43 km (27 mi) NW earthquakes near Elko County
Eureka County, NV 149 km (93 mi) SW earthquakes near Eureka County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.6 47 km E of Lamoille, Nevada
  2. 3.0 10 km ENE of Wells, Nevada
  3. 2.0 23 km S of Wells, Nevada
  4. 1.9 46 km SE of Lamoille, Nevada
  5. 3.0 14 km SE of Wells, Nevada
  6. 3.1 29 km SE of Lamoille, Nevada
  7. 3.7 16 km S of Wells, Nevada
  8. 3.6 31 km NE of Osino, Nevada
  9. 2.0 20 km S of Wells, Nevada
  10. 1.5 21 km SSW of Wells, Nevada
  11. 2.7 29 km ESE of Lamoille, Nevada
  12. 1.9 7 km WSW of Oasis, Nevada
  13. 1.5 21 km SSW of Wells, Nevada
  14. 3.0 31 km SSW of Wells, Nevada
  15. 2.3 22 km SSW of Wells, 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.