Nevada earthquakes

M4.9 earthquake 24 km S of Mina, Nevada

A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck 24 km S of Mina, Nevada on Wed, Dec 2, 2020, 9:15 PM PST (05:15 UTC), 5 km (3 mi) below the surface.

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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: 4.9 (ML, local (Richter)), light
Magnitude from: Nevada Seismological Laboratory
Local time: Wed, Dec 2, 2020, 9:15 PM PST
UTC: 2020-12-03 05:15:29 UTC
Depth: 5.0 km (3.1 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 38.175° N, 118.065° W
Region: Nevada
Felt reports: 52
Strongest shaking: V, moderate 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
4.9	ML, local (Richter)	Nevada Seismological Laboratory	Preferred · Reviewed · ±0.25 · 13 stations
4.8	Mwr, regional moment	USGS National Earthquake Information Center	Reviewed · ±0.022 · 202 stations
5.0	Mi	NOAA Pacific Tsunami Warning Center	First automatic solution · Reviewed · 8 stations
4.7	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: V, moderate shaking
Map: Automatic

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

Did you feel it?

52 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: Oblique normal
Moment magnitude: 4.8 Mwr
Nodal plane 1: Strike 77°, dip 74°, rake -33°
Nodal plane 2: Strike 178°, dip 58°, rake -161°
Landslide alert: Green
Liquefaction alert: Green

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Magnitude uncertainty: ±0.25
Station coverage gap: 42°
Stations used: 30

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.9 and up: at least 199 in the 60 days after this one and at least 200 in the 30 days before it.

After

The first 60 of at least 199.

Before

Earthquakes today Nevada earthquakes Live radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nn00788443 (also filed as pt20338001, us7000cmeh). Read Sat, Oct 3, 2026, 9:39 AM UTC.