On May 15, 2020, at 4:03:27 local time, a magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck ~35 miles (56 km) west of Tonopah, Nevada in the Monte Cristo Range near the California-Nevada border.

[3] It extends from the Garlock Fault in the southeast along the northeastern flank of the Sierra Nevada, running parallel to the California–Nevada boundary.

Shaking was felt throughout California and Nevada, with some reports from as far as San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Salt Lake City.

[11] The earthquake lies close to the projected eastward continuation of the Candelaria fault, which is known to have been active during the Quaternary period.

Several post-earthquake field reconnaissance teams documented surface fault expressions, rock falls, subsidence features, and other geologic and geotechnical effects in the Columbus Salt Marsh to the west of U.S. Route 95 and surrounding areas.