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The August 18, 1942 earthquake

M5.0near Hawthorne, Nevada

A magnitude 5.0 earthquake, centred in Mineral County. The 96th strongest in Nevada’s record since 1900, and the strongest within 50 miles since a magnitude 5.5 on May 11, 1939.

The earthquake

Magnitude
5.0
local magnitude (ml)
Depth
—
Not recorded
Local time
Tuesday, August 18, 1942
14:55 PWT; 21:55 UTC
Epicentre
38.60°N, 118.50°W
In Mineral County
In Nevada’s record
96th
strongest of 8,110 since 1900
Within 50 miles
6
counties; more on this date

USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, event ushis1405 (“13 km NE of Hawthorne, Nevada”). 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

Earthquakes around the epicentre

1,375 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: 0 1974: 4 1975: 1 1976: 5 1977: 3 1978: 18 1979: 16 1980: 96 1981: 24 1982: 25 1983: 13 1984: 9 1985: 2 1986: 8 1987: 7 1988: 17 1989: 7 1990: 10 1991: 15 1992: 12 1993: 8 1994: 1 1995: 9 1996: 5 1997: 9 1998: 8 1999: 7 2000: 9 2001: 14 2002: 8 2003: 14 2004: 66 2005: 17 2006: 14 2007: 13 2008: 8 2009: 8 2010: 8 2011: 68 2012: 4 2013: 19 2014: 12 2015: 13 2016: 38 2017: 19 2018: 2 2019: 6 2020: 499 499 2021: 64 2022: 30 2023: 17 2024: 49 2025: 17 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.