M3.0 Earthquake 25 km NE of Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada — September 24, 2021
2021-09-24 20:21:39 UTC (2021-09-24) · approx. 12:21 PM UTC-8 local
Felt by 20 people across nearby locations.
On September 24, 2021 at 20:21 UTC, a magnitude 3.0 shallow crustal earthquake struck 25 km NE of Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, at a depth of 9.5 km and coordinates 36.4156°, -114.8655°. This earthquake was detected by 20 seismic stations with good location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 145, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 3.0 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 477 kg of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 71 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 20 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
-114.8655°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 3.0 earthquake near Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada?
The magnitude 3.0 earthquake that struck 25 km NE of Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada on September 24, 2021 at 20:21 UTC had a depth of 9.5 km. For context, this was a minor earthquake typically detected only by instruments.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 36.4156°, -114.8655°, which is 25 km NE of Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. View all earthquakes in Nevada.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 3.0 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 3.0 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: nn00823399). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, September 24, 2021). M3.0 Earthquake 25 km NE of Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada — September 24, 2021. Retrieved December 4, 2021 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/nn00823399/