California earthquakes

M3.0 earthquake 23km N of Tehachapi, CA

A magnitude 3.0 earthquake struck 23km N of Tehachapi, CA on Wed, Sep 15, 1971, 1:50 AM PDT (08:50 UTC), 0 km (0 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M3.5 13km ESE of Kernville, 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
1971-09-15 08:50:19 UTC
Depth
0.1 km (0.1 mi), shallow
Epicenter
35.339° N, 118.464° 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 0.9 km horizontally, 1.8 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.12
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
121°
Stations used
12

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 12 in the 60 days after this one and 5 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 3.124km N of Tehachapi, CA · 20102 days ago · 6 km deep · 3 km away
  2. 3.07km SW of Agua Dulce, CA · 20100 days ago · 15 km deep · 98 km away
  3. 3.218km SW of Little Lake, CA · 20095 days ago · 0 km deep · 65 km away
  4. 3.110km SE of Wofford Heights, CA · 20084 days ago · 0 km deep · 36 km away
  5. 2.98km NW of Grapevine, CA · 20074 days ago · 6 km deep · 61 km away
  6. 3.55km NW of Grapevine, CA · 20074 days ago · 6 km deep · 62 km away
  7. 3.513km ESE of Kernville, CA · 20065 days ago · 3 km deep · 42 km away
  8. 2.82km NNW of Frazier Park, CA · 20064 days ago · 0 km deep · 71 km away
  9. 3.06km SE of Wofford Heights, CA · 20063 days ago · 11 km deep · 37 km away
  10. 3.312km ESE of Wofford Heights, CA · 20056 days ago · 0 km deep · 38 km away
  11. 3.09km W of Agua Dulce, CA · 20051 days ago · 10 km deep · 92 km away
  12. 2.56km NE of Tehachapi, CA · 20044 days ago · 6 km deep · 19 km away

Before

  1. 2.623km NNW of Tehachapi, CA · 20108 days ago · 1 km deep · 11 km away
  2. 2.622km ENE of Arvin, CA · 20108 days ago · 0 km deep · 14 km away
  3. 2.723km ENE of Arvin, CA · 20108 days ago · 1 km deep · 13 km away
  4. 2.424km SSW of Bodfish, CA · 20113 days ago · 1 km deep · 10 km away
  5. 2.825km N of Tehachapi, CA · 20124 days ago · 2 km deep · 2 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event ci3322153. Read Mon, Sep 28, 2026, 4:42 AM UTC.