California earthquakes

M2.5 earthquake 27 km NNW of Benton, California

A magnitude 2.5 earthquake struck 27 km NNW of Benton, California on Fri, Jul 30, 2021, 8:08 AM PDT (15:08 UTC), 9 km (6 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M4.4 25km SSW of Smith Valley, 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: 2.5 (ML, local (Richter)), micro
Magnitude from: Nevada Seismological Laboratory
Local time: Fri, Jul 30, 2021, 8:08 AM PDT
UTC: 2021-07-30 15:08:51 UTC
Depth: 9.4 km (5.8 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 38.040° N, 118.616° W
Region: California
Felt reports: 1
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
2.5	ML, local (Richter)	Nevada Seismological Laboratory	Preferred · Reviewed · ±0.32 · 17 stations
2.2	ML, local (Richter)	USGS National Earthquake Information Center	Reviewed · ±0.048 · 58 stations

Did you feel it?

1 person reported to the USGS what they felt; the strongest reported shaking was II, weak shaking.

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Magnitude uncertainty: ±0.32
Station coverage gap: 67°
Stations used: 33

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 201 in the 60 days after this one and at least 200 in the 30 days before it.

After

The first 60 of 201.

Before

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nn00816980 (also filed as nc73602536, us6000f0q8). Read Sat, Oct 3, 2026, 2:05 PM UTC.