California earthquakes

M4.1 earthquake 10km NNW of Tehachapi, CA

A magnitude 4.1 earthquake struck 10km NNW of Tehachapi, CA on Fri, Sep 1, 1961, 9:51 AM GMT-7 (16:51 UTC), 6 km (4 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M5.1 13km SE of Little Lake, 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
4.1 (ml), light
Local time
UTC
1961-09-01 16:51:49 UTC
Depth
6.0 km (3.7 mi), shallow
Epicenter
35.212° N, 118.504° 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 1.7 km horizontally, 31.6 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.06
Depth from
Operator assigned
Station coverage gap
92°
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: 11 in the 60 days after this one and 3 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 3.010km NNW of Tehachapi, CA · 23762 days ago · 6 km deep · 2 km away
  2. 3.317km NW of Grapevine, CA · 23756 days ago · 1 km deep · 54 km away
  3. 3.015km WSW of Tehachapi, CA · 23729 days ago · 6 km deep · 16 km away
  4. 3.212km S of Arvin, CA · 23724 days ago · 6 km deep · 30 km away
  5. 3.513km SE of Little Lake, CA · 23715 days ago · 0 km deep · 93 km away
  6. 5.113km SE of Little Lake, CA · 23715 days ago · 6 km deep · 97 km away
  7. 2.516km SSE of Little Lake, CA · 23715 days ago · 6 km deep · 92 km away
  8. 3.117km NW of Tehachapi, CA · 23702 days ago · 6 km deep · 9 km away
  9. 2.917km ENE of Arvin, CA · 23702 days ago · 6 km deep · 15 km away
  10. 3.019km E of Arvin, CA · 23702 days ago · 6 km deep · 11 km away
  11. 3.318km NW of Tehachapi, CA · 23702 days ago · 6 km deep · 10 km away

Before

  1. 3.320km NNW of Tehachapi, CA · 23764 days ago · 6 km deep · 10 km away
  2. 3.223km S of Bodfish, CA · 23782 days ago · 0 km deep · 19 km away
  3. 3.215km ESE of Johannesburg, CA · 23787 days ago · 6 km deep · 92 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event ci3344790. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 11:33 PM UTC.