M3.0 earthquake 11km NNW of Avenal, CA
A magnitude 3.0 earthquake struck 11km NNW of Avenal, CA on Mon, Aug 14, 1972, 3:49 PM PDT (22:49 UTC), 6 km (4 mi) below the surface.
A larger quake followed: M3.0 10km N of Parkfield, CA. This one was a foreshock.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 3.0 (ml), micro
- Local time
- UTC
- 1972-08-14 22:49:29 UTC
- Depth
- 6.0 km (3.7 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 36.101° N, 120.154° W
- Region
- California
- 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 3.8 km horizontally, 31.6 km in depth
- Magnitude uncertainty
- ±0.01
- Depth from
- Operator assigned
- Station coverage gap
- 169°
- 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: 3 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.
After
Earthquakes todayCalifornia earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event ci3321174. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 10:30 PM UTC.