The November 10, 1916 earthquake

M5.9Death Valley area, California

A magnitude 5.9 earthquake, centred in Inyo County. The 90th strongest in California’s record since 1900, and the strongest within 50 miles since a magnitude 6.0 on November 4, 1908.

The earthquake

Magnitude
5.9
magnitude (unspecified scale) (mh)
Depth
—
Not recorded
Local time
Friday, November 10, 1916
01:11 PST; 09:11 UTC
Epicentre
36.00°N, 117.00°W
In Inyo County
In California’s record
90th
strongest of 97,065 since 1900
Within 50 miles
3
counties; more on this date

USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, event cdmg19161110091100000 (“Death Valley area, California”). The USGS event page carries the ShakeMap, felt reports and the official summary.

Counties and cities within 50 miles

Distance from the epicentre to each county boundary (zero when inside) and to each city centre.

Counties

Cities, largest first

Earthquakes around the epicentre

1,988 earthquakes of magnitude 3 or more within 50 miles of this epicentre since 1973.

Earthquakes of magnitude 3 or more within 50 miles of the epicentre, by year 1973: 3 1974: 13 1975: 4 1976: 8 1977: 7 1978: 5 1979: 3 1980: 3 1981: 13 1982: 77 1983: 15 1984: 4 1985: 13 1986: 15 1987: 5 1988: 8 1989: 6 1990: 1 1991: 5 1992: 69 1993: 19 1994: 11 1995: 82 1996: 62 1997: 21 1998: 42 1999: 13 2000: 24 2001: 51 2002: 7 2003: 3 2004: 6 2005: 1 2006: 10 2007: 4 2008: 25 2009: 15 2010: 33 2011: 7 2012: 5 2013: 4 2014: 12 2015: 4 2016: 6 2017: 6 2018: 5 2019: 1,108 1,108 2020: 55 2021: 21 2022: 14 2023: 16 2024: 14 2025: 5 19731978198319881993199820032008201320182023

Earlier earthquakes of magnitude 5 or more within 50 miles, strongest first

USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog. Local time is the time zone of the county nearest the epicentre. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them.