Earthquake rattles Las Vegas area; no injuries reported

A minor earthquake rattled the Las Vegas area Thursday afternoon, shaking homes and businesses across the valley but causing no immediate reports of damage or injury, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The temblor, recorded at magnitude 3.8, struck at 1:47 p.m. Pacific time about 7 miles northwest of Summerlin South, Nevada. Summerlin South is a residential community on the western edge of the Las Vegas Valley, adjacent to Red Rock Canyon.

More than 1,000 felt reports were submitted to the USGS within a short time of the earthquake, with most coming from the Las Vegas Valley. Reports were also submitted from Pahrump, near Nevada’s border with California. Most indicated light shaking, or level 4 on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale — a level the USGS describes as felt indoors by many people, with dishes, windows and doors disturbed and parked cars rocking noticeably. 

Seismologists may revise the reported magnitude as they review additional data, the agency said.

The USGS forecast placed the probability of a larger quake striking the area within the next 24 hours at about 4%. The chance of an aftershock of magnitude 3.0 or greater was estimated at 26%, while the likelihood of a 4.0 or stronger event was put at 5%. A magnitude 5.0 or greater aftershock was considered less than 1% likely.

Nevada is among the most seismically active states in the country, with frequent small earthquakes tied to regional fault systems. The state’s seismicity is distributed across a broad network of faults rather than a single dominant structure, a product of its location in the Basin and Range Province, where the Earth’s crust is gradually being pulled apart. 

The USGS Earthquake Hazards Program monitors seismic activity in real time and updates magnitude estimates as data from additional monitoring stations is processed.