3.6

M3.6 Earthquake 13 km WSW of Salton City, CAJune 23, 2024

2024-06-23 19:17:01 UTC (2024-06-23) · approx. 11:17 AM UTC-8 local

Felt by 21 people across nearby locations.

MagnitudeM3.6(ml)
Time19:17 UTC11:17 AM UTC-8
Depth10.6 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates33.255°, -116.084°
Felt by21DYFI responses· max MMI 3.3
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On June 23, 2024 at 19:17 UTC, a magnitude 3.6 shallow crustal earthquake struck 13 km WSW of Salton City, CA, at a depth of 10.6 km and coordinates 33.2550°, -116.0838°. The earthquake was reported felt by 21 peopleacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 3.3 (light). This earthquake was detected by 100 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 205, placing it among routine seismic activity.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 3.6 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 3.7 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 181 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.

The epicenter is located in California, a region characterized by the San Andreas transform fault system, where the Pacific and North American plates slide past each other at roughly 46 mm per year. The nearest mapped fault system is the San Andreas Fault. View all earthquakes in California.

Learn more: San Andreas Fault · Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences

Map showing earthquake epicenter at 33.26°, -116.08°

ShakeMap — predicted shaking intensity

Modeled ground-motion intensity contoured on the Modified Mercalli scale (MMI). Computed by the USGS from the moment-tensor solution and regional ground-motion prediction equations.

USGS ShakeMap intensity contours for the M3.6 earthquake near 13 km WSW of Salton City, CA

Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS

Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking

Aggregated felt-report intensity from 21 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.

USGS DYFI community-reported intensity map for the M3.6 earthquake near 13 km WSW of Salton City, CA

Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
3.6 ml
Depth
10.6 km
shallow crustal
Location
33.2550°N
-116.0838°E
Felt Reports
21
DYFI responses
Intensity (MMI)
3.3
light
Community Intensity
3.1
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
ci40808000
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
205
Stations Used
100
Azimuthal Gap
19.0°
Min Station Distance
0.086°
RMS Residual
0.22 sec
Last Updated
2024-08-30 18:17:05 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 3.6 earthquake near Salton City, CA?

The magnitude 3.6 earthquake that struck 13 km WSW of Salton City, CA on June 23, 2024 at 19:17 UTC had a depth of 10.6 km. It was felt by 21 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 3.3 (light). For context, this was a minor earthquake typically detected only by instruments.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at 33.2550°, -116.0838°, which is 13 km WSW of Salton City, CA. View all earthquakes in California.

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 3.6 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.

Has California had earthquakes this big before?

The largest recorded earthquake in California was the M7.9 Fort Tejon earthquake of January 9, 1857. Today's magnitude 3.6 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: ci40808000). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, June 23, 2024). M3.6 Earthquake 13 km WSW of Salton City, CAJune 23, 2024. Retrieved August 30, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/ci40808000/