M2.4 Earthquake 4 km E of Cold Springs, Nevada — October 16, 2020
2020-10-16 20:29:05 UTC (2020-10-16) · approx. 12:29 PM UTC-8 local
Felt by 22 people across nearby locations.
On October 16, 2020 at 20:29 UTC, a magnitude 2.4 shallow crustal earthquake struck 4 km E of Cold Springs, Nevada, at a depth of 6.4 km and coordinates 39.6764°, -119.9258°. This earthquake was detected by 31 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 98, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 2.4 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 60.0 kg of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 27 m — 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
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 22 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Earthquake Details
-119.9258°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 2.4 earthquake near Cold Springs, Nevada?
The magnitude 2.4 earthquake that struck 4 km E of Cold Springs, Nevada on October 16, 2020 at 20:29 UTC had a depth of 6.4 km. For context, this was a minor earthquake typically detected only by instruments.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 39.6764°, -119.9258°, which is 4 km E of Cold Springs, Nevada. View all earthquakes in Nevada.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 2.4 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 2.4 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: nn00779025). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, October 16, 2020). M2.4 Earthquake 4 km E of Cold Springs, Nevada — October 16, 2020. Retrieved December 29, 2020 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/nn00779025/