California earthquakes

M4.0 earthquake 7km NNW of Tehachapi, CA

A magnitude 4.0 earthquake struck 7km NNW of Tehachapi, CA on Tue, Mar 17, 1953, 8:15 AM GMT-8 (16:15 UTC), 6 km (4 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M4.7 20km ENE 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
4.0 (ml), minor
Local time
UTC
1953-03-17 16:15:16 UTC
Depth
6.0 km (3.7 mi), shallow
Epicenter
35.191° N, 118.485° 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
±0.11
Depth from
Operator assigned
Station coverage gap
132°
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: 67 in the 60 days after this one and 40 in the 30 days before it.

After

The first 60 of 67.

Before

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event ci3303085. Read Mon, Sep 28, 2026, 11:40 PM UTC.