M5.1 earthquake 3 km W of Soledad, California
A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck 3 km W of Soledad, California on Thu, Feb 24, 1972, 7:56 AM PST (15:56 UTC), 12 km (7 mi) below the surface.
A larger quake followed: M5.2 25 km NE of Soledad, California. This one was a foreshock.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.1 (mw), moderate
- Local time
- UTC
- 1972-02-24 15:56:51 UTC
- Depth
- 12.0 km (7.5 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 36.424° N, 121.360° 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.
- Magnitude uncertainty
- ±0.20
- Depth from
- From location
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 2.1 and up: 2 in the 60 days after this one and 2 in the 30 days before it.
After
- 5.225 km NE of Soledad, California · 19930 days ago · 8 km deep · 28 km away
- 3.640km SW of King City, CA · 19928 days ago · 6 km deep · 56 km away
Before
Earthquakes todayCalifornia earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event iscgem776436 (also filed as ushis3185). Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 5:17 AM UTC.