5.0

M5.0 Earthquake 29 km SSE of Mina, Nevada — June 30, 2020

2020-06-30 09:24:23 UTC (2020-06-30) · approx. 1:24 AM UTC-8 local

Felt by 60 people across nearby locations. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 4.7 (moderate).

MagnitudeM5.0(ml)
Time09:24 UTC≈ 1:24 AM UTC-8
Depth8.3 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates38.154°, -117.958°
Felt by60DYFI responses· max MMI 4.7
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS· green PAGER
green Alert— no significant casualties or damage expected

On June 30, 2020 at 09:24 UTC, a magnitude 5.0 shallow crustal earthquake struck 29 km SSE of Mina, Nevada, at a depth of 8.3 km and coordinates 38.1539°, -117.9583°. The earthquake was reported felt by 60 peopleacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 4.7 (moderate). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 28 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 413, placing it among routine seismic activity. The nearest populated place is Hawthorne (population 3,269).

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.0 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 477 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.7 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

Hawthornepop. 3,269
MMI 2.0 (weak)
Dixon Lane-Meadow Creekpop. 2,645
MMI 1.6 (weak)
Goldfieldpop. 268
MMI 1.6 (weak)
Bishoppop. 3,879
MMI 1.6 (weak)
Tonopahpop. 2,478
MMI 1.4 (weak)
West Bishoppop. 2,607
MMI 1.4 (weak)
Map showing earthquake epicenter at 38.15°, -117.96°

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 M5.0 earthquake near 29 km SSE 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 60 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 M5.0 earthquake near 29 km SSE 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 3weak273
MMI 4light1

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
5.0 ml
Depth
8.3 km
shallow crustal
Location
38.1539°N
-117.9583°E
Felt Reports
60
DYFI responses
Intensity (MMI)
4.7
moderate
Community Intensity
4.8
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
nn00755218
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
413
Stations Used
28
Azimuthal Gap
44.3°
Min Station Distance
0.015°
RMS Residual
0.25 sec
Last Updated
2020-09-05 17:35:36 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 5.0 earthquake near Mina, Nevada?

The magnitude 5.0 earthquake that struck 29 km SSE of Mina, Nevada on June 30, 2020 at 09:24 UTC had a depth of 8.3 km. It was felt by 60 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 4.7 (moderate). For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at 38.1539°, -117.9583°, which is 29 km SSE of Mina, Nevada. The nearest populated place is Hawthorne (population 3,269). View all earthquakes in Nevada.

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.0 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks 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 5.0 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: nn00755218). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, June 30, 2020). M5.0 Earthquake 29 km SSE of Mina, Nevada — June 30, 2020. Retrieved September 5, 2020 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/nn00755218/