M2.5 Earthquake 15 km ESE of Fernley, Nevada — December 20, 2020
2020-12-20 22:24:16 UTC (2020-12-20) · approx. 2:24 PM UTC-8 local
Felt by 12 people across nearby locations.
On December 20, 2020 at 22:24 UTC, a magnitude 2.5 shallow crustal earthquake struck 15 km ESE of Fernley, Nevada, at a depth of 6.2 km and coordinates 39.5776°, -119.0761°. This earthquake was detected by 17 seismic stations with good location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 101, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 2.5 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 84.8 kg of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 32 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 12 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
-119.0761°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 2.5 earthquake near Fernley, Nevada?
The magnitude 2.5 earthquake that struck 15 km ESE of Fernley, Nevada on December 20, 2020 at 22:24 UTC had a depth of 6.2 km. For context, this was a minor earthquake typically detected only by instruments.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 39.5776°, -119.0761°, which is 15 km ESE of Fernley, Nevada. View all earthquakes in Nevada.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 2.5 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 2.5 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: nn00793883). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, December 20, 2020). M2.5 Earthquake 15 km ESE of Fernley, Nevada — December 20, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2021 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/nn00793883/