The United States Geological Survey (USGS) issued and subsequently retracted a false earthquake alert for northern Nevada on Thursday, marking what appears to be the first complete false notification from its automated detection system. The erroneous alert was disseminated through the ShakeAlert early warning application.
At 08:06 local time, the automated system generated a report indicating a magnitude 5.9 earthquake near Carson City, Nevada’s state capital. The alert reached recipients nearly 200 miles away in California’s San Francisco Bay Area, triggering automatic safety instructions advising residents to take protective cover.
The agency canceled the alert within minutes and removed all corresponding entries from its official platforms. Through a statement on X (formerly Twitter), the USGS clarified: ‘There was no M5.9 earthquake near Carson City, NV.’
Multiple law enforcement agencies across cities and counties near the reported epicenter confirmed the complete absence of seismic activity. According to the Michigan Tech Earthquake Magnitude Scale, an earthquake of magnitude 5.9 typically produces noticeable shaking and could cause minor property damage.
The USGS has launched an investigation to determine the cause of the system malfunction that generated the false report. This incident represents a significant anomaly in the earthquake early warning infrastructure designed to protect millions along seismic zones.