M3.2 earthquake 4 km SSE of Big Pine, California
A magnitude 3.2 earthquake struck 4 km SSE of Big Pine, California on Fri, Apr 20, 1973, 9:50 PM PST (05:50 UTC), 8 km (5 mi) below the surface.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 3.2 (ML, local (Richter)), minor
- Magnitude from
- USGS National Earthquake Information Center
- Local time
- UTC
- 1973-04-21 05:50:40 UTC
- Depth
- 8.0 km (5.0 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 37.125° N, 118.265° W
- Region
- California
- Tsunami flag
- No
- Status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
Magnitude estimates
Different scales measure different things and differ by a few tenths. The USGS marks one as preferred, and it is the one this page uses.
| Mag. | Scale | Computed by | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.2 | ML, local (Richter) | USGS National Earthquake Information Center | Preferred · Reviewed |
| 2.56 | ML, local (Richter) | Southern California Seismic Network | Final · ±0.138 · 4 stations |
Did you feel it?
No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.
How well it is located
Reviewed by a seismologist.
- Stations used
- 8
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 2 in the 30 days before it.
After
- 2.313km NNW of Independence, CA · 19517 days ago · 0 km deep · 25 km away
- 3.024km NE of Dixon Lane-Meadow Creek, CA · 19480 days ago · 6 km deep · 43 km away
- 3.08km W of Olancha, CA · 19475 days ago · 0 km deep · 94 km away
Before
Earthquakes todayCalifornia earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp00001fw (also filed as ci3320072). Read Mon, Oct 5, 2026, 10:32 AM UTC.