M4.6 earthquake 21km N of Tehachapi, CA

A magnitude 4.6 earthquake struck 21km N of Tehachapi, CA on Sun, Aug 10, 1952, 5:23 AM GMT-7 (12:23 UTC), 1 km (1 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M5.5 The 1952 Bakersfield, California Earthquake. This one was a foreshock.

Map

Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

Different scales measure different things and differ by a few tenths. The USGS marks one as preferred, and it is the one this page uses.

Mag.	Scale	Computed by	Notes
4.59	ML, local (Richter)	Southern California Seismic Network	Preferred · Final · ±0.097 · 8 stations
4.6	ML, local (Richter)	USGS historic United States catalog	Final

The USGS’s account of the effects of this earthquake.

Maximum observed Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) I

From the USGS event page for ci3306475. U.S. Geological Survey text and figures are in the public domain.

The USGS ShakeMap: shaking estimated from seismic stations and the quake’s size, on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale.

No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.6 and up: 55 in the 60 days after this one and at least 200 in the 30 days before it.

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event ci3306475 (also filed as ushis1850). Read Fri, Oct 2, 2026, 12:45 AM UTC.