California earthquakes

M2.8 earthquake 20km NW of Tehachapi, CA

A magnitude 2.8 earthquake struck 20km NW of Tehachapi, CA on Thu, Jan 15, 1970, 7:39 AM PST (15:39 UTC), 6 km (4 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M3.4 21km SSW 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
2.8 (ML, local (Richter)), micro
Magnitude from
Southern California Seismic Network
Local time
UTC
1970-01-15 15:39:42 UTC
Depth
6.0 km (3.7 mi), shallow
Epicenter
35.263° N, 118.595° 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 1.3 km horizontally, 31.6 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.07
Depth from
Operator assigned
Station coverage gap
124°
Stations used
5

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 9 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 2.514km WSW of Little Lake, CA · 20697 days ago · 6 km deep · 85 km away
  2. 2.712km W of Coso Junction, CA · 20697 days ago · 6 km deep · 98 km away
  3. 2.722km S of Bodfish, CA · 20688 days ago · 6 km deep · 16 km away
  4. 2.529km W of Johannesburg, CA · 20668 days ago · 6 km deep · 60 km away
  5. 2.726km NE of Arvin, CA · 20662 days ago · 6 km deep · 11 km away
  6. 3.421km SSW of Little Lake, CA · 20658 days ago · 6 km deep · 77 km away
  7. 3.020km SW of Little Lake, CA · 20657 days ago · 6 km deep · 78 km away

Before

  1. 2.827km SSW of Bodfish, CA · 20715 days ago · 6 km deep · 11 km away
  2. 2.310km SSE of Bodfish, CA · 20717 days ago · 5 km deep · 30 km away
  3. 2.210km SSE of Bodfish, CA · 20717 days ago · 6 km deep · 32 km away
  4. 2.012km SSE of Bodfish, CA · 20717 days ago · 6 km deep · 29 km away
  5. 2.212km SSE of Bodfish, CA · 20717 days ago · 6 km deep · 30 km away
  6. 2.424km SSW of Bodfish, CA · 20719 days ago · 6 km deep · 15 km away
  7. 2.612km NE of Inyokern, CA · 20725 days ago · 2 km deep · 94 km away
  8. 2.618km ESE of Porterville, CA · 20730 days ago · 6 km deep · 83 km away
  9. 2.812km N of Grapevine, CA · 20731 days ago · 6 km deep · 40 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event ci3324901. Read Thu, Oct 1, 2026, 6:59 AM UTC.