Nevada earthquakes

M3.9 earthquake 28 km SE of Mina, Nevada

A magnitude 3.9 earthquake struck 28 km SE of Mina, Nevada on Sat, May 16, 2020, 3:28 AM PDT (10:28 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: 3.9 (ML, local (Richter)), minor
Magnitude from: Nevada Seismological Laboratory
Local time: Sat, May 16, 2020, 3:28 AM PDT
UTC: 2020-05-16 10:28:40 UTC
Depth: 6.8 km (4.2 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 38.192° N, 117.901° W
Region: Nevada
Felt reports: 1
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
3.9	ML, local (Richter)	Nevada Seismological Laboratory	Preferred · Reviewed · ±0.38 · 3 stations
3.9	Mwr, regional moment	USGS National Earthquake Information Center	Reviewed · ±0.03 · 106 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: 4.1% of gravity
Peak ground velocity: 0.4 cm/s
Map: Automatic

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

Did you feel it?

1 person reported to the USGS what they felt; the strongest reported shaking was III, weak 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 352°, dip 60°, rake -167°
Nodal plane 2: Strike 255°, dip 79°, rake -31°

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Magnitude uncertainty: ±0.38
Station coverage gap: 43°
Stations used: 16

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 nn00726292 (also filed as us70009i05, nn00726298). Read Fri, Oct 2, 2026, 7:31 AM UTC.