RENO, Nev. – On December 9, 2024, at 3:08 p.m. local time, a magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck on an unnamed fault between Yerington and Silver Springs, Lyon County, Nevada. The earthquake was felt as far away as San Francisco and caused strong local shaking in the Campbell Valley and Desert Range that registered VI on the Mercalli which measures the shaking intensity that different locations experience during an earthquake. The Nevada Seismological Laboratory has recorded 32 aftershocks ranging from M2.0-M4.1 in the five hours following the magnitude 5.8 earthquake. More aftershocks are expected to follow, perhaps lasting weeks.

The earthquake occurred at about 11.5 kilometers or 7 miles depth in a fault zone known as the Wabuska Lineament. It was a left-lateral strike-slip earthquake. The Wabuska Lineament is one of a cluster of northeast-striking faults in the mountains east of Reno. Earthquakes like this have been occurring in this region, known as the Walker Lane Shear Zone, which follows the California-Nevada border, for millions of years. The Pacific tectonic plate is moving northwest relative to the North American tectonic plate, and while most of that takes place along the San Andreas fault, it also causes deformation farther east in the crust of western Nevada creating the complex web of faults in the Walker Lane.

Anyone who felt the earthquake is requested to fill out a form on the U.S. Geological Survey website indicating the intensity of shaking at their location.

“A magnitude 5.8 earthquake has the potential to send objects flying or damage masonry buildings,” Professor Christie Rowe, director of the Nevada Seismological Laboratory, said. “We are grateful to Nevada schools for participating in the Great ShakeOut so our kids know how to ‘drop, cover and hold on’ during earthquakes. Damaging earthquakes can happen anywhere in Nevada, and we feel fortunate that no injuries have been reported from today’s event. We encourage Nevadans to prepare by storing emergency supplies and making a plan for homes, schools and workplaces.”

Information on how to prepare for earthquakes and other natural hazards is available at the Great Nevada ShakeOut website. Earthquake information for Nevada is available in near-real time at the Nevada Seismological Laboratory website and the U.S. Geological Survey website.