California earthquakes

M2.9 earthquake 10km NNE of Pacoima, CA

A magnitude 2.9 earthquake struck 10km NNE of Pacoima, CA on Fri, Mar 5, 1971, 12:42 PM PST (20:42 UTC), 0 km (0 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M4.3 2km W of San Fernando, CA. This one was a foreshock.

Sylmar forecastMore in California

Map

Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

Open the live map with earthquakes

The earthquake

Magnitude
2.9 (ml), micro
Local time
UTC
1971-03-05 20:42:48 UTC
Depth
0.1 km (0.0 mi), shallow
Epicenter
34.366° N, 118.401° 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 1.1 km horizontally, 1.5 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.07
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
137°
Stations used
11

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 78 in the 60 days after this one and 199 in the 30 days before it.

After

The first 60 of 78.

Before

Earthquakes todayCalifornia earthquakesLive radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event ci3323219. Read Wed, Sep 30, 2026, 3:55 PM UTC.