M3.2 earthquake 15km W of Tehachapi, CA
A magnitude 3.2 earthquake struck 15km W of Tehachapi, CA on Sun, Dec 9, 1956, 8:17 AM GMT-8 (16:17 UTC), 6 km (4 mi) below the surface.
A larger quake followed: M3.6 19km SE of Bodfish, CA. This one was a foreshock.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 3.2 (ml), minor
- Local time
- UTC
- 1956-12-09 16:17:16 UTC
- Depth
- 6.0 km (3.7 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 35.121° N, 118.616° W
- Region
- California
- 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
- ±0.17
- Depth from
- Operator assigned
- Station coverage gap
- 124°
- Stations used
- 7
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 7 in the 60 days after this one and 6 in the 30 days before it.
After
- 2.813km SW of Arvin, CA · 25491 days ago · 6 km deep · 28 km away
- 3.219km ENE of Arvin, CA · 25489 days ago · 6 km deep · 17 km away
- 2.88km NNE of Grapevine, CA · 25474 days ago · 0 km deep · 29 km away
- 3.619km SE of Bodfish, CA · 25473 days ago · 0 km deep · 44 km away
- 3.122km W of Inyokern, CA · 25462 days ago · 6 km deep · 81 km away
- 2.926km SSW of Bodfish, CA · 25448 days ago · 6 km deep · 29 km away
- 2.721km S of Bodfish, CA · 25437 days ago · 11 km deep · 33 km away
Before
- 2.24km NNW of Grapevine, CA · 25505 days ago · 6 km deep · 34 km away
- 2.814km ENE of Arvin, CA · 25507 days ago · 6 km deep · 18 km away
- 2.824km SSW of Bodfish, CA · 25511 days ago · 6 km deep · 32 km away
- 2.924km SSW of Bodfish, CA · 25513 days ago · 6 km deep · 29 km away
- 2.718km NW of Grapevine, CA · 25514 days ago · 6 km deep · 40 km away
- 3.026km SSW of Bodfish, CA · 25525 days ago · 6 km deep · 27 km away
Earthquakes todayCalifornia earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event ci3295767. Read Tue, Sep 29, 2026, 4:40 PM UTC.