4.8

M4.8 Earthquake 34 km SE of Mina, Nevada — June 8, 2020

2020-06-08 03:24:05 UTC (2020-06-08) · approx. 7:24 PM UTC-8 local

Felt by 51 people across nearby locations. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 6.4 (very strong).

MagnitudeM4.8(ml)
Time03:24 UTC≈ 7:24 PM UTC-8
Depth5.2 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates38.206°, -117.791°
Felt by51DYFI responses· max MMI 6.4
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS· green PAGER
green Alert— no significant casualties or damage expected

On June 8, 2020 at 03:24 UTC, a magnitude 4.8 shallow crustal earthquake struck 34 km SE of Mina, Nevada, at a depth of 5.2 km and coordinates 38.2059°, -117.7912°. The earthquake was reported felt by 51 peopleacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 6.4 (very strong). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 32 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 378, placing it among routine seismic activity. The nearest populated place is Tonopah (population 2,478).

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.8 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 239 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.2 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.

The epicenter is located in Nevada, a region characterized by Basin and Range extensional tectonics, where normal faulting accommodates east-west crustal stretching at approximately 10 mm per year. The nearest mapped fault system is the Walker Lane fault zone. View all earthquakes in Nevada.

Learn more: Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences

Nearest Populated Places

Tonopahpop. 2,478
MMI 2.2 (weak)
Hawthornepop. 3,269
MMI 2.2 (weak)
Goldfieldpop. 268
MMI 2.1 (weak)
Dixon Lane-Meadow Creekpop. 2,645
MMI 1.9 (weak)
Bishoppop. 3,879
MMI 1.9 (weak)
West Bishoppop. 2,607
MMI 1.7 (weak)
Map showing earthquake epicenter at 38.21°, -117.79°

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 M4.8 earthquake near 34 km SE of Mina, Nevada

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

Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking

Aggregated felt-report intensity from 51 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 M4.8 earthquake near 34 km SE of Mina, Nevada

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

Population exposure (USGS PAGER)

Estimated population that experienced each level of shaking. Based on the USGS PAGER rapid impact assessment, which combines ShakeMap output with global population grids.

Shaking intensity (MMI)DescriptionPopulation exposed
MMI 3weak582
MMI 4light3
MMI 5moderate5

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
4.8 ml
Depth
5.2 km
shallow crustal
Location
38.2059°N
-117.7912°E
Felt Reports
51
DYFI responses
Intensity (MMI)
6.4
very strong
Community Intensity
4.6
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
nn00744961
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
378
Stations Used
32
Azimuthal Gap
32.7°
Min Station Distance
0.041°
RMS Residual
0.17 sec
Last Updated
2020-08-18 17:59:04 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 4.8 earthquake near Mina, Nevada?

The magnitude 4.8 earthquake that struck 34 km SE of Mina, Nevada on June 8, 2020 at 03:24 UTC had a depth of 5.2 km. It was felt by 51 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 6.4 (very strong). For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at 38.2059°, -117.7912°, which is 34 km SE of Mina, Nevada. The nearest populated place is Tonopah (population 2,478). View all earthquakes in Nevada.

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.8 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.

Has Nevada had earthquakes this big before?

The largest recorded earthquake in Nevada was the M7.3 Pleasant Valley earthquake of October 2, 1915. Today's magnitude 4.8 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: nn00744961). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, June 8, 2020). M4.8 Earthquake 34 km SE of Mina, Nevada — June 8, 2020. Retrieved August 18, 2020 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/nn00744961/