M4.9 Earthquake 24 km S of Mina, Nevada — December 3, 2020
2020-12-03 05:15:29 UTC (2020-12-03) · approx. 9:15 PM UTC-8 local
Felt by 52 people across nearby locations. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 5.1 (strong).
On December 3, 2020 at 05:15 UTC, a magnitude 4.9 shallow crustal earthquake struck 24 km S of Mina, Nevada, at a depth of 5.0 km and coordinates 38.1750°, -118.0654°. The earthquake was reported felt by 52 peopleacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 5.1 (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 30 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 390, placing it among routine seismic activity. The nearest populated place is Hawthorne (population 3,269).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.9 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 338 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.4 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
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.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 52 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
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) | Description | Population exposed |
|---|---|---|
| MMI 3 | weak | 690 |
| MMI 4 | light | 2 |
Earthquake Details
-118.0654°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.9 earthquake near Mina, Nevada?
The magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck 24 km S of Mina, Nevada on December 3, 2020 at 05:15 UTC had a depth of 5.0 km. It was felt by 52 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 5.1 (strong). For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 38.1750°, -118.0654°, which is 24 km S 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 4.9 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 4.9 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: nn00788443). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, December 3, 2020). M4.9 Earthquake 24 km S of Mina, Nevada — December 3, 2020. Retrieved February 12, 2021 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/nn00788443/