M4.1 earthquake 20 km W of Preston, Nevada
A magnitude 4.1 earthquake struck 20 km W of Preston, Nevada on Sun, Sep 27, 2026, 1:54 AM PDT (08:54 UTC), 6 km (4 mi) below the surface.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 4.1 (Mwr, regional moment), light
- Magnitude from
- Nevada Seismological Laboratory
- Local time
- UTC
- 2026-09-27 08:54:07 UTC
- Depth
- 6.0 km (3.7 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 38.923° N, 115.299° W
- Region
- Nevada
- Felt reports
- 1
- Strongest shaking
- IV, light 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.1 | Mwr, regional moment | Nevada Seismological Laboratory | Preferred · Final |
| 4.1 | Mwr, regional moment | USGS National Earthquake Information Center | Preliminary · ±0.027 · 134 stations |
Shaking
The USGS ShakeMap: shaking estimated from seismic stations and the quake’s size, on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale.
- Strongest estimated
- IV, light shaking
- Peak ground acceleration
- 3.3% of gravity
- Peak ground velocity
- 1.0 cm/s
- Map
- Automatic
Did you feel it?
1 person reported to the USGS what they felt; the strongest reported shaking was I, not felt shaking. If you felt it, tell the USGS: every report sharpens the shaking map.
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
| Range | Chance |
|---|---|
| Under 1 | 95% |
| 1 to 10 | 5% |
| 10 to 100 | Under 1% |
| 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% |
| Range, million USD | Chance |
|---|---|
| Under 1 | 90% |
| 1 to 10 | 9% |
| 10 to 100 | Under 1% |
| 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% |
Aftershock forecast
The chance of at least one aftershock this large or larger, from the USGS operational aftershock forecast, issued Fri, Oct 2, 2026, 8:54 AM UTC. The USGS updates it as the sequence unfolds.
| Within | M3+ | M4+ | M5+ | M6+ | M7+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 day | 2% | Under 1% | Under 1% | Under 1% | Under 1% |
| 1 week | 7% | Under 1% | Under 1% | Under 1% | Under 1% |
| 1 month | 13% | 2% | Under 1% | Under 1% | Under 1% |
| 1 year | 24% | 4% | Under 1% | Under 1% | Under 1% |
In the coming week the USGS expects about 0 aftershocks of magnitude 3 or more, and most likely between 0 and 1.
Fault motion and ground failure
How the rock slipped, from the moment tensor, and the USGS estimate of landslides and liquefaction.
- Faulting
- Normal
- Moment magnitude
- 4.1 Mwr
- Nodal plane 1
- Strike 15°, dip 44°, rake -119°
- Nodal plane 2
- Strike 234°, dip 53°, rake -65°
How well it is located
Reviewed by a seismologist.
- Station coverage gap
- 199°, poorly surrounded by stations
- Stations used
- 6
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 4 since this one and 6 in the 30 days before it.
After
- 2.022 km W of Preston, Nevada · 5 days ago · 3 km deep · 2 km away
- 3.320 km W of Preston, Nevada · 4 days ago · 0 km deep · 3 km away
- 3.119 km W of Preston, Nevada · 3 days ago · 0 km deep · 1 km away
- 3.019 km W of Preston, Nevada · 7 hr ago · 3 km deep · 2 km away
Before
- 1.826 km W of Preston, Nevada · 5 days ago · 6 km deep · 6 km away
- 2.620 km W of Preston, Nevada · 5 days ago · 4 km deep · 1 km away
- 3.321 km W of Preston, Nevada · 5 days ago · 6 km deep · 1 km away
- 3.020 km W of Preston, Nevada · 5 days ago · 4 km deep · 0 km away
- 4.121 km W of Preston, Nevada · 5 days ago · 6 km deep · 1 km away · felt by 7
- 1.684 km NNW of Rachel, Nevada · 22 days ago · 16 km deep · 92 km away
Earthquakes todayNevada earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nn00924954 (also filed as us6000txxy). Read Fri, Oct 2, 2026, 4:10 PM UTC.