Nevada earthquakes

M1.7 earthquake 30km W of Tonopah, NV

A magnitude 1.7 earthquake struck 30km W of Tonopah, NV on Sat, May 2, 1981, 9:18 PM PDT (04:18 UTC), 4 km (3 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M1.9 70km WNW of Beatty, NV. This one was a foreshock.

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Map

Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

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The earthquake

Magnitude
1.7 (mc), micro
Local time
UTC
1981-05-03 04:18:38 UTC
Depth
4.1 km (2.6 mi), shallow
Epicenter
38.041° N, 117.573° W
Region
Nevada
Tsunami flag
No
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

Did you feel it?

No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Depth from
Operator assigned
Station coverage gap
272°, poorly surrounded by stations
Stations used
0

Nearest places

Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 78 in the 60 days after this one and 49 in the 30 days before it.

After

The first 60 of 78.

Before

Earthquakes todayNevada earthquakesLive radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event ci515265. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 7:46 AM UTC.