Nevada earthquakes

M3.3 earthquake 36 km SE of Mina, Nevada

A magnitude 3.3 earthquake struck 36 km SE of Mina, Nevada on Sat, May 16, 2020, 11:42 PM PDT (06:42 UTC), 6 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: 3.3 (ML, local (Richter)), minor
Magnitude from: Nevada Seismological Laboratory
Local time: Sat, May 16, 2020, 11:42 PM PDT
UTC: 2020-05-17 06:42:02 UTC
Depth: 5.9 km (3.7 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 38.177° N, 117.786° W
Region: Nevada
Strongest shaking: IV, light shaking
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
3.3	ML, local (Richter)	Nevada Seismological Laboratory	Preferred · Reviewed · ±0.3 · 2 stations
3.5	Mwr, regional moment	USGS National Earthquake Information Center	Reviewed · ±0.071 · 19 stations

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: 1.4% of gravity
Peak ground velocity: -0.7 cm/s
Map: Automatic

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

Did you feel it?

No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.

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: 3.5 Mwr
Nodal plane 1: Strike 318°, dip 79°, rake -156°
Nodal plane 2: Strike 223°, dip 67°, rake -12°

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Magnitude uncertainty: ±0.30
Station coverage gap: 88°
Stations used: 15

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 nn00727385 (also filed as nn00727055, us70009inr). Read Fri, Oct 2, 2026, 11:38 AM UTC.