California earthquakes

M4.5 earthquake 16km NNW of Tehachapi, CA

A magnitude 4.5 earthquake struck 16km NNW of Tehachapi, CA on Wed, Jul 23, 1952, 6:30 AM GMT-7 (13:30 UTC), 6 km (4 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M5.1 6km N of Grapevine, 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
4.5 (ml), light
Local time
UTC
1952-07-23 13:30:03 UTC
Depth
6.0 km (3.7 mi), shallow
Epicenter
35.267° N, 118.498° 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 1.4 km horizontally, 31.6 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.06
Depth from
Operator assigned
Station coverage gap
90°
Stations used
10

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 185 in the 60 days after this one and 13 in the 30 days before it.

After

The first 60 of 185.

Before

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event ci3318265. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 9:35 AM UTC.