M1.7 earthquake 30km SSW of Smith Valley, NV

A magnitude 1.7 earthquake struck 30km SSW of Smith Valley, NV on Thu, Sep 23, 2021, 6:09 PM PDT (01:09 UTC), 7 km (5 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M3.8 28km SE of Markleeville, CA. 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
1.72	Md, duration	Northern California Seismic System	Preferred · Final · ±0.218 · 21 stations
1.6	ML, local (Richter)	Nevada Seismological Laboratory	Preliminary · ±0.28 · 9 stations

No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.

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 nc73628636 (also filed as nn00823255). Read Sun, Oct 4, 2026, 10:52 PM UTC.