M5.7 Earthquake near 2024 Parker Butte, Nevada Earthquake — December 9, 2024
2024-12-09 23:08:31 UTC (2024-12-09) · approx. 3:08 PM UTC-8 local
Felt by 8,416 people across a wide area. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 6.7 (very strong).
On December 9, 2024 at 23:08 UTC, a magnitude 5.7 shallow crustal earthquake struck near 2024 Parker Butte, Nevada Earthquake, at a depth of 8.0 km and coordinates 39.1675°, -119.0238°. The earthquake was reported felt by 8,416 peopleacross a wide area, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 6.7 (very 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 good location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 1112, making it one of the most significant global earthquakes in recent days. The nearest populated place is Silver Springs (population 5,296).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.7 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 6 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 5.2 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
What the Shaking Felt Like
At MMI 6.7 (very strong), people in the most strongly affected areas would have experienced: Strong shaking felt by everyone. Heavy furniture may move. Books fall from shelves. Plaster and chimneys may crack. Damage is generally slight in well-built structures.
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 8,416 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 | 2,063,155 |
| MMI 4 | light | 414,466 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 16,946 |
| MMI 6 | strong | 2,707 |
Earthquake Details
-119.0238°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.7 earthquake near 2024 Parker Butte, Nevada Earthquake?
The magnitude 5.7 earthquake that struck near 2024 Parker Butte, Nevada Earthquake on December 9, 2024 at 23:08 UTC had a depth of 8.0 km. It was felt by 8,416 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 6.7 (very strong). For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 39.1675°, -119.0238°, which is near 2024 Parker Butte, Nevada Earthquake. The nearest populated place is Silver Springs (population 5,296). View all earthquakes in Nevada.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.7 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 5.7 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: nn00888580). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, December 9, 2024). M5.7 Earthquake near 2024 Parker Butte, Nevada Earthquake — December 9, 2024. Retrieved July 17, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/nn00888580/