The May 9, 1952 earthquake
M5.1near Reno, Nevada
A magnitude 5.1 earthquake, centred in Washoe County. The 78th strongest in Nevada’s record since 1900, and the strongest within 50 miles since a magnitude 5.6 on December 14, 1950.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.1
- local magnitude (ml)
- Depth
- —
- Not recorded
- Local time
- Friday, May 9, 1952
- 08:31 PDT; 15:31 UTC
- In Nevada’s record
- 78th
- strongest of 8,110 since 1900
USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, event ushis1780 (“12 km SSE of Reno, 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
- Washoe CountyNV · inside
- Storey CountyNV · 4.9 mi
- Nevada CountyCA · 12.1 mi
- Sierra CountyCA · 12.1 mi
- Carson CityNV · 12.2 mi
- Lyon CountyNV · 12.2 mi
- Placer CountyCA · 14.0 mi
- Douglas CountyNV · 21.2 mi
- Lassen CountyCA · 23.6 mi
- El Dorado CountyCA · 27.1 mi
- Plumas CountyCA · 27.9 mi
- Alpine CountyCA · 34.3 mi
- Churchill CountyNV · 34.6 mi
- Pershing CountyNV · 46.3 mi
- Mono CountyCA · 49.9 mi
Cities, largest first
- RenoNV · 9.7 mi
- SparksNV · 11.2 mi
- Carson CityNV · 18.5 mi
- FernleyNV · 33.0 mi
- South Lake TahoeCA · 35.6 mi
- TruckeeCA · 22.6 mi
Earthquakes around the epicentre
643 earthquakes of magnitude 3 or more within 50 miles of this epicentre since 1973.
Earlier earthquakes of magnitude 5 or more within 50 miles, strongest first
- April 24, 1914M6.4
- June 25, 1933M6.1
- February 18, 1914M6.0
- December 29, 1948M6.0
- December 14, 1950M5.6
- December 3, 1942M5.5
- January 11, 1939M5.5
- March 30, 1943M5.3
- December 17, 1942M5.1
USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog. Local time is the time zone of the county nearest the epicentre. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them.