California earthquakes

M2.8 earthquake 28km SSW of Smith Valley, NV

A magnitude 2.8 earthquake struck 28km SSW of Smith Valley, NV on Fri, Sep 17, 2021, 4:04 AM PDT (11:04 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.

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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: 2.8 (ML, local (Richter)), micro
Magnitude from: Northern California Seismic System
Local time: Fri, Sep 17, 2021, 4:04 AM PDT
UTC: 2021-09-17 11:04:48 UTC
Depth: 3.4 km (2.1 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 38.541° N, 119.418° W
Region: California
Felt reports: 6
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
2.78	ML, local (Richter)	Northern California Seismic System	Preferred · Final · ±0.38 · 21 stations
2.6	ML, local (Richter)	USGS National Earthquake Information Center	Reviewed · ±0.039 · 85 stations
2.7	ML, local (Richter)	Nevada Seismological Laboratory	Reviewed · ±0.28 · 8 stations

Did you feel it?

6 people reported to the USGS what they felt; the strongest reported shaking was III, weak shaking.

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Location uncertainty: About 0.2 km horizontally, 0.5 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty: ±0.38
Depth from: From location
Station coverage gap: 107°
Stations used: 21

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 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 California earthquakes Live radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc73625896 (also filed as nn00822596, us7000fc1i). Read Sat, Oct 3, 2026, 8:03 PM UTC.