Nevada earthquakes

M4.2 earthquake 28 km SSE of Mina, Nevada

A magnitude 4.2 earthquake struck 28 km SSE of Mina, Nevada on Fri, May 15, 2020, 6:51 AM PDT (13:51 UTC), 7 km (4 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M5.1 32 km ESE of Mina, Nevada. 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: 4.2 (ML, local (Richter)), light
Magnitude from: Nevada Seismological Laboratory
Local time: Fri, May 15, 2020, 6:51 AM PDT
UTC: 2020-05-15 13:51:37 UTC
Depth: 6.7 km (4.2 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 38.169° N, 117.942° W
Region: Nevada
Felt reports: 5
Strongest shaking: IV, light shaking
PAGER alert: Green
Tsunami flag: No
Status: Reviewed by a seismologist

Magnitude estimates

Different scales measure different things and differ by a few tenths. The USGS marks one as preferred, and it is the one this page uses.

Mag.	Scale	Computed by	Notes
4.2	ML, local (Richter)	Nevada Seismological Laboratory	Preferred · Reviewed · ±0.54 · 9 stations
3.9	Mwr, regional moment	USGS National Earthquake Information Center	Reviewed · ±0.045 · 47 stations
3.9	Mwr, regional moment	Nevada Seismological Laboratory	Moment tensor · Reviewed

Shaking

The USGS ShakeMap: shaking estimated from seismic stations and the quake’s size, on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale.

Strongest estimated: IV, light shaking
Peak ground acceleration: 4.8% of gravity
Peak ground velocity: 0.8 cm/s
Map: Automatic

USGS ShakeMap: estimated shaking intensity around the epicenter — Estimated shaking intensity. Map: USGS ShakeMap.

Did you feel it?

5 people reported to the USGS what they felt; the strongest reported shaking was IV, light shaking.

Estimated impact

The USGS PAGER system estimates deaths and economic losses from the shaking and the population and buildings exposed to it.

Alert level: Green: little or no damage or loss of life expected

Deaths: estimated chance of each range
Range	Chance
Under 1	65%
1 to 10	30%
10 to 100	4%
100 to 1,000	Under 1%
1,000 to 10,000	Under 1%
10,000 to 100,000	Under 1%
100,000 to 10,000,000	Under 1%

Economic losses: estimated chance of each range
Range, million USD	Chance
Under 1	65%
1 to 10	30%
10 to 100	4%
100 to 1,000	Under 1%
1,000 to 10,000	Under 1%
10,000 to 100,000	Under 1%
100,000 to 10,000,000	Under 1%

Fault motion and ground failure

How the rock slipped, from the moment tensor, and the USGS estimate of landslides and liquefaction.

Faulting: Strike-slip
Moment magnitude: 3.9 Mwr
Nodal plane 1: Strike 71°, dip 88°, rake 17°
Nodal plane 2: Strike 340°, dip 73°, rake 178°

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Magnitude uncertainty: ±0.54
Station coverage gap: 91°
Stations used: 21

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: at least 202 in the 60 days after this one and at least 200 in the 30 days before it.

After

The first 60 of at least 202.

Before

Earthquakes today Nevada earthquakes Live radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nn00725387 (also filed as us70009gpz, nn00725385). Read Fri, Oct 2, 2026, 6:46 AM UTC.