California earthquakes

M3.9 earthquake 20km NNW of Tehachapi, CA

A magnitude 3.9 earthquake struck 20km NNW of Tehachapi, CA on Sun, Jul 27, 1952, 11:56 AM GMT-7 (18:56 UTC), 6 km (4 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M4.1 0km S of Tehachapi, CA. This one was a foreshock.

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Map

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

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The earthquake

Magnitude
3.9 (ml), minor
Local time
UTC
1952-07-27 18:56:23 UTC
Depth
6.0 km (3.7 mi), shallow
Epicenter
35.288° N, 118.568° W
Tsunami flag
No
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

Did you feel it?

No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Location uncertainty
About 1.2 km horizontally, 31.6 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.10
Depth from
Operator assigned
Station coverage gap
82°
Stations used
12

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 100 in the 60 days after this one and 98 in the 30 days before it.

After

The first 60 of 100.

Before

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event ci3317805. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 8:06 AM UTC.