Shallow M4.8 Earthquake hit near El Centro in The United States on Monday Night.

Written by Earthquakelist.org on February 12th, 2024. Last updated April 12th, 2024.

In the night of Monday February 12th, 2024, a shallow Magnitude 4.8 earthquake hit under land 2 miles from El Centro in The United States. The USGS has indicated there is a potential risk at tsunami's following this earthquake. Another country near the epicenter is Mexico.

Earthquake Summary

The earthquake struck on land in The United States, 2 miles (3 km) north-northwest of El Centro in California. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 11 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.

Date and Time:	Feb 12, 2024 12:36AM (Los Angeles Time) - Feb 12, 2024 08:36 Universal Time.
Location:	2 mi NNW of El Centro, California, The United States. Coordinates 32°48'49"N 115°34'25"W.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 4.8 Detected by 99 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.2 .
Depth:	11 mi (18 km) A very shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	VI Strong On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
Tsunami Risk:	Potential tsunami risk The USGS has indicated there is a potential risk at tsunami's following this earthquake. Always stay cautious - More info here.

Potential tsunami risk

DISCLAIMER: We strongly suggest to closely monitor advice from local authorities with regards to tsunami risks. Our analysis is based on automatically collected data from external sources, and these might contain mistakes. In addition, earthquakes can cause landslides that may lead to a tsunami, or be a followed by another, potentially stonger, earthquake.

There is a potential tsunami risk in the aftermath of this earthquake, immediately evacuate to higher grounds away from coastal areas and monitor advice from local authorities. The US Geographic Survey organization has indicated a potential risk for tsunami's following this earthquake.

Tsunami Risk Factors

Factor	Under Sea?	MAG-6.5 or stronger?	Shallow depth?
Explanation	Almost all tsunami's are caused by earthquakes with their epicenter under sea or very near the sea. However stay cautious in coastal areas as earthquakes on land may cause landslides into sea, potentially still causing a local tsunami.	Under MAG 6.5: Very unlikely to cause a tsunami. MAG 6.5 to 7.5: Destructive tsunami's do occur, but are uncommon. Likely to observe small sea level changes. MAG 7.6+: Earthquakes with these magnitudes might produce destructive tsunami's.	Most destructive tsunami's are caused by shallow earthquakes with a depth between 0 and 100km under the surface of the earth. Deeper tsunami's are unlikely to displace to ocean floor.
This Earthquake	Not this earthquake. This earthquake appears to have struck on land far from any coast.	Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 4.8. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami.	This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 11 mi (18 km). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami.

Minimal impact predicted

Based on scientific estimates by the US Geographic Survey (USGS), the risk of high fatalities for this earthquake is classified at level GREEN (low). They expect an 65% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities, and a 96% chance that the number of fatalities falls no higher than 10.

The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 99% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact.

Roughly 13 million people exposed to shaking

An estimated 13 million have been exposed to shaking (An MMI or Modified Mercalli Intensity level II or higher) as a result of this earthquake according scientific estimates published by the USGS.

Strong shaking and probably light damage may have been experienced by an estimated 17,280 people. At VI, it is the highest MMI level this earthquake has caused. The majority of people (roughly 8 million) live in an area exposed to level II, where very weak shaking and no damage is expected. All exposure to shaking was within the borders of Mexico .

People	MMI Level	Shaking	Damage
23,490	I	Not noticable	None
7,670,000	II	Very weak	None
3,799,000	III	Weak	Probably none
931,300	IV	Light	Likely none
164,700	V	Moderate	Very light
17,280	VI	Strong	Light
0	VII	Very Strong	Moderate
0	VIII	Severe	Moderate to heavy
0	IX	Violent	Heavy
0	X	Extreme	Very heavy

Nearby towns and cities

2 countries can be found within 300km of the epicenter of this earthquake: The United States and Mexico .

El Centro in California, The United States is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 2 miles (3 km) north-northwest of El Centro. The intensity of shaking and damage in El Centro is estimated to be around level V on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (moderate shaking, very light damage).

Major cities near this earthquake: Mexicali is located 23 km to the south-southeast and experienced an intensity of IV (light shaking, likely no damage). Los Angeles is located 176 mi to the west-northwest (intensity unknown, possibly low). Tijuana is located 138 km to the west-southwest and experienced an intensity of II (very weak shaking, no damage).

A complete list of nearby places is included below. Estimated intensity data (MMI) sourced from a shake-map published by the US Geographic Survey is shown where available (cities without data probably experienced little impact).

Overview of nearby places

Cities and Towns around the epicenter of this earthquake.
Distance	Place	Intensity (MMI)
2 mi (3 km) SSE from epicenter	El Centro California, The United States.	V Moderate
2 mi (4 km) N from epicenter	Imperial California, The United States.	VI Strong
11 mi (17 km) SSE from epicenter	Calexico California, The United States.	V Moderate
12 mi (19 km) NNE from epicenter	Brawley California, The United States.	V Moderate
20 km (12 mi) S from epicenter	Santa Isabel Baja California, Mexico.	V Moderate
23 km (14 mi) SSE from epicenter	Mexicali Baja California, Mexico.	IV Light
34 km (21 mi) SE from epicenter	Puebla Baja California, Mexico.	IV Light
73 km (45 mi) SE from epicenter	Guadalupe Victoria Baja California, Mexico.	III Weak
52 mi (83 km) ESE from epicenter	San Luis Arizona, The United States.	III Weak
52 mi (84 km) ESE from epicenter	Somerton Arizona, The United States.	III Weak
85 km (53 mi) ESE from epicenter	San Luis Río Colorado Sonora, Mexico.	III Weak
55 mi (89 km) E from epicenter	Yuma Arizona, The United States.	III Weak
102 km (63 mi) WSW from epicenter	Tecate Baja California, Mexico.	III Weak
68 mi (110 km) E from epicenter	Fortuna Foothills Arizona, The United States.	III Weak
69 mi (111 km) NNW from epicenter	Coachella California, The United States.	III Weak
73 mi (117 km) NNW from epicenter	Indio California, The United States.	III Weak
73 mi (117 km) NW from epicenter	La Quinta California, The United States.	II Weak
78 mi (126 km) NW from epicenter	Palm Desert California, The United States.	II Weak
81 mi (130 km) W from epicenter	El Cajon California, The United States.	III Weak
81 mi (131 km) W from epicenter	Santee California, The United States.	III Weak
85 mi (136 km) NW from epicenter	Cathedral City California, The United States.	III Weak
85 mi (136 km) W from epicenter	La Mesa California, The United States.	II Weak
138 km (86 mi) WSW from epicenter	Tijuana Baja California, Mexico.	II Weak
86 mi (138 km) W from epicenter	Poway California, The United States.	II Weak
142 km (88 mi) SW from epicenter	Ensenada Baja California, Mexico.	II Weak
89 mi (143 km) W from epicenter	Chula Vista California, The United States.	III Weak
89 mi (143 km) W from epicenter	National City California, The United States.	III Weak
90 mi (145 km) NW from epicenter	Palm Springs California, The United States.	III Weak
90 mi (145 km) W from epicenter	Rancho Penasquitos California, The United States.	II Weak
90 mi (145 km) WNW from epicenter	Escondido California, The United States.	III Weak
91 mi (147 km) W from epicenter	Mira Mesa California, The United States.	II Weak
147 km (91 mi) WSW from epicenter	Rosarito Baja California, Mexico.	II Weak
93 mi (149 km) W from epicenter	San Diego California, The United States.	III Weak
95 mi (153 km) WNW from epicenter	San Marcos California, The United States.	III Weak
100 mi (161 km) WNW from epicenter	Vista California, The United States.	II Weak
101 mi (162 km) W from epicenter	Encinitas California, The United States.	II Weak
103 mi (165 km) WNW from epicenter	Temecula California, The United States.	II Weak
103 mi (166 km) NW from epicenter	Hemet California, The United States.	II Weak
106 mi (170 km) WNW from epicenter	Carlsbad California, The United States.	II Weak
107 mi (173 km) WNW from epicenter	Murrieta California, The United States.	II Weak
108 mi (174 km) WNW from epicenter	Oceanside California, The United States.	II Weak
111 mi (178 km) NW from epicenter	Menifee California, The United States.	II Weak
117 mi (188 km) NW from epicenter	Perris California, The United States.	II Weak
123 mi (198 km) NW from epicenter	Moreno Valley California, The United States.	II Weak
131 mi (211 km) NW from epicenter	Riverside California, The United States.	II Weak
134 mi (215 km) NW from epicenter	San Bernardino California, The United States.	II Weak
143 mi (230 km) WNW from epicenter	Irvine California, The United States.
147 mi (237 km) WNW from epicenter	Santa Ana California, The United States.
152 mi (245 km) WNW from epicenter	Anaheim California, The United States.
165 mi (265 km) WNW from epicenter	Long Beach California, The United States.
176 mi (283 km) WNW from epicenter	Los Angeles California, The United States.

Earthquake Intensity Map

The intensity in shaking and damage by this earthquake is illustrated through the map below. The highest intensity measured for this earthquake is VI.

I Not felt

II Weak

III Weak

IV Light

V Moderate

VI Strong

VII Very Strong

VIII Severe

IX Violent

X Extreme

Earthquake Intensity Map based on Shakemap Data provided by USGS.

Shaking reported by 56 people

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 56 people have reported shaking in 6 places, all within Mexico.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.

Places with most reports:

Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico: 37 people.
Puebla, Baja California, Mexico: 9 people.
Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico: 7 people.
Progreso, Baja California, Mexico: 1 person.
Rosarito, Baja California, Mexico: 1 person.
San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora, Mexico: 1 person.

30 Aftershocks detected

After this earthquake struck, 30 smaller aftershocks occurred. Just 6 mins after this main shock, an earthquake measuring MAG-4.6 was detected 1.1 mi (1.7 km) south-southeast of this earthquake.

This main shock was prefaced by 3 smaller foreshocks. A 3.2 magnitude earthquake hit 2 days earlier nearby.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

Detected MAG2.5+ earthquakes within within 100km (62 mi), that occurred in the three days before and after the main shock.
Classification	Magnitude	When	Where
Foreshock	M 3.2	2 days earlier Feb 10, 2024 01:49AM (Los Angeles Time)	52 mi (84 km) SSE from Main Shock.
Foreshock	M 2.8	1 day earlier Feb 10, 2024 05:10PM (Los Angeles Time)	17 mi (27 km) N from Main Shock.
Foreshock	M 2.9	1 day earlier Feb 10, 2024 05:11PM (Los Angeles Time)	17 mi (28 km) N from Main Shock.
Main Shock This Earthquake	M 4.8	Feb 12, 2024 12:36AM (Los Angeles Time)	-
Aftershock	M 3.6	1 min later Feb 12, 2024 12:37AM (Los Angeles Time)	0.7 mi (1.1 km) SE from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 3.5	2 mins later Feb 12, 2024 12:38AM (Los Angeles Time)	0.9 mi (1.4 km) WNW from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 3.6	2 mins later Feb 12, 2024 12:38AM (Los Angeles Time)	0.5 mi (0.8 km) SW from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.1	2 mins later Feb 12, 2024 12:38AM (Los Angeles Time)	0.8 mi (1.3 km) WNW from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 3.3	3 mins later Feb 12, 2024 12:39AM (Los Angeles Time)	1.7 mi (2.7 km) SSE from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 2.9	4 mins later Feb 12, 2024 12:40AM (Los Angeles Time)	1.7 mi (2.7 km) SSE from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 2.9	5 mins later Feb 12, 2024 12:41AM (Los Angeles Time)	0.3 mi (0.5 km) NW from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.6	6 mins later Feb 12, 2024 12:42AM (Los Angeles Time)	1.1 mi (1.7 km) SSE from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 3.4	7 mins later Feb 12, 2024 12:43AM (Los Angeles Time)	2.1 mi (3 km) SSE from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 2.5	9 mins later Feb 12, 2024 12:45AM (Los Angeles Time)	1.3 mi (2.1 km) SE from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 2.5	9 mins later Feb 12, 2024 12:45AM (Los Angeles Time)	2 mi (3 km) NNW from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 3.9	23 mins later Feb 12, 2024 12:59AM (Los Angeles Time)	1.5 mi (2.4 km) SSE from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 2.7	25 mins later Feb 12, 2024 01:01AM (Los Angeles Time)	1.6 mi (2.6 km) N from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 2.8	54 mins later Feb 12, 2024 01:30AM (Los Angeles Time)	0.9 mi (1.5 km) S from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 3.7	2 hrs later Feb 12, 2024 02:18AM (Los Angeles Time)	2.2 mi (4 km) SE from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 3.7	2 hrs later Feb 12, 2024 02:18AM (Los Angeles Time)	3 mi (5 km) SE from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 2.6	2 hrs later Feb 12, 2024 02:25AM (Los Angeles Time)	0.9 mi (1.5 km) WNW from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 2.8	3 hrs later Feb 12, 2024 03:33AM (Los Angeles Time)	0.3 mi (0.5 km) S from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 3.3	5 hrs later Feb 12, 2024 06:04AM (Los Angeles Time)	2.4 mi (4 km) SSE from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 2.6	5 hrs later Feb 12, 2024 06:04AM (Los Angeles Time)	1.9 mi (3 km) SE from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 3.5	6 hrs later Feb 12, 2024 06:15AM (Los Angeles Time)	2.4 mi (4 km) SSE from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 2.5	6 hrs later Feb 12, 2024 06:30AM (Los Angeles Time)	2.8 mi (5 km) SSE from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 2.6	6 hrs later Feb 12, 2024 06:34AM (Los Angeles Time)	2.7 mi (4 km) SSE from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 2.8	6 hrs later Feb 12, 2024 06:42AM (Los Angeles Time)	0.4 mi (0.6 km) SW from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 2.6	6 hrs later Feb 12, 2024 06:46AM (Los Angeles Time)	3 mi (5 km) SSE from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 2.6	6 hrs later Feb 12, 2024 07:03AM (Los Angeles Time)	0.4 mi (0.6 km) W from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 2.6	9 hrs later Feb 12, 2024 09:36AM (Los Angeles Time)	2.5 mi (4 km) SSE from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 2.5	2 days later Feb 13, 2024 11:49PM (Los Angeles Time)	22 mi (35 km) N from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.0	2 days later Feb 13, 2024 11:53PM (Los Angeles Time)	22 mi (35 km) N from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 2.6	2 days later Feb 13, 2024 11:56PM (Los Angeles Time)	22 mi (36 km) N from Main Shock.

More earthquakes coming?

Earthquakes can create aftershocks. These are generally at least 1 magnitude lower than any main shock, and as time passes the chance and strength of aftershocks decreases.

It's always adviced to be cautious of the risk of a larger shock following any significant earthquake, however this risk is fairly small. There is a roughly 94 percent change that no larger main shock will follow in the days following this earthquake.

Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).

Earthquakes like this happen often in the region

Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since December 1st, 2023, when a 4.8 magnitude earthquake hit 18 mi (29 km) further west-southwest. An even stronger magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck on November 22nd, 2022.

In total, 18 earthquakes with a magnitude of 4.8 or higher have been registered within 300km (186 mi) of this epicenter in the past 10 years. This comes down to an average of once every 7 months.

Sources

Last updated 12/04/24 07:48 (). As more information on this earthquake becomes available this article will be updated. This article is automatically composed based on data originating from multiple sources.