California earthquakes

M3.0 earthquake 21km NW of Tehachapi, CA

A magnitude 3.0 earthquake struck 21km NW of Tehachapi, CA on Tue, Sep 22, 1959, 10:32 PM GMT-7 (05:32 UTC), 6 km (4 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M3.1 6km SSW of Coso Junction, 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
3.0 (ml), minor
Local time
UTC
1959-09-23 05:32:26 UTC
Depth
6.0 km (3.7 mi), shallow
Epicenter
35.274° N, 118.601° 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 1.0 km horizontally, 31.6 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.09
Depth from
Operator assigned
Station coverage gap
102°
Stations used
8

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 20 in the 60 days after this one and 5 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 3.16km SSW of Coso Junction, CA · 24468 days ago · 0 km deep · 98 km away
  2. 3.014km SSW of Bodfish, CA · 24464 days ago · 21 km deep · 23 km away
  3. 2.924km SSW of Bodfish, CA · 24464 days ago · 6 km deep · 13 km away
  4. 2.926km NE of Arvin, CA · 24454 days ago · 0 km deep · 13 km away
  5. 3.326km SSW of Bodfish, CA · 24450 days ago · 0 km deep · 11 km away
  6. 2.615km W of Tehachapi, CA · 24450 days ago · 6 km deep · 16 km away
  7. 3.48km W of Tehachapi, CA · 24443 days ago · 6 km deep · 15 km away
  8. 4.123km WNW of Inyokern, CA · 24440 days ago · 5 km deep · 74 km away
  9. 3.122km NW of Inyokern, CA · 24440 days ago · 6 km deep · 76 km away
  10. 3.723km WNW of Inyokern, CA · 24440 days ago · 6 km deep · 74 km away
  11. 3.422km SSW of Little Lake, CA · 24440 days ago · 6 km deep · 76 km away
  12. 3.019km E of Kernville, CA · 24435 days ago · 1 km deep · 63 km away
  13. 3.021km SSW of Little Lake, CA · 24435 days ago · 6 km deep · 76 km away
  14. 3.024km SSW of Little Lake, CA · 24432 days ago · 6 km deep · 73 km away
  15. 3.322km WNW of Inyokern, CA · 24426 days ago · 6 km deep · 75 km away
  16. 2.817km NW of Grapevine, CA · 24421 days ago · 2 km deep · 50 km away
  17. 3.022km SW of Little Lake, CA · 24421 days ago · 6 km deep · 75 km away
  18. 3.121km SE of Bodfish, CA · 24418 days ago · 6 km deep · 28 km away
  19. 3.620km WNW of Inyokern, CA · 24417 days ago · 6 km deep · 74 km away
  20. 3.020km SW of Little Lake, CA · 24417 days ago · 6 km deep · 77 km away

Before

  1. 3.13km NW of Little Lake, CA · 24477 days ago · 0 km deep · 97 km away
  2. 3.11km N of Little Lake, CA · 24477 days ago · 0 km deep · 98 km away
  3. 3.23km NNW of Little Lake, CA · 24479 days ago · 0 km deep · 98 km away
  4. 3.025km NE of Arvin, CA · 24485 days ago · 6 km deep · 8 km away
  5. 3.418km NW of Tehachapi, CA · 24495 days ago · 6 km deep · 3 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event ci3297206. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 12:12 PM UTC.