M1.5 earthquake 31km SSW of Smith Valley, NV

A magnitude 1.5 earthquake struck 31km SSW of Smith Valley, NV on Sun, Sep 12, 2021, 3:19 AM PDT (10:19 UTC), 3 km (2 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M4.0 30km SSW of Smith Valley, NV. This one was a foreshock.

Map

Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

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
1.54	Md, duration	Northern California Seismic System	Preferred · Final · ±0.205 · 16 stations
1.1	ML, local (Richter)	Nevada Seismological Laboratory	Preliminary · ±0.25 · 7 stations

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

Reviewed by a seismologist.

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

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: at least 199 in the 60 days after this one and at least 200 in the 30 days before it.

The first 60 of at least 199.

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc73623966 (also filed as nn00822025). Read Sat, Oct 3, 2026, 3:57 PM UTC.