California earthquakes

M4.7 earthquake 28km NW of Ocotillo, CA

A magnitude 4.7 earthquake struck 28km NW of Ocotillo, CA on Thu, Sep 13, 1973, 10:30 AM PDT (17:30 UTC), 9 km (5 mi) below the surface.

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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: 4.7 (ML, local (Richter)), light
Magnitude from: Southern California Seismic Network
Local time: Thu, Sep 13, 1973, 10:30 AM PDT
UTC: 1973-09-13 17:30:39 UTC
Depth: 8.6 km (5.4 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 32.896° N, 116.229° 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
4.65	ML, local (Richter)	Southern California Seismic Network	Preferred · Final · ±0.294 · 12 stations
4.5	mb, body-wave	USGS National Earthquake Information Center	Reviewed
4.5	mb, body-wave	USGS historic United States catalog	Final

What happened

The USGS’s account of the effects of this earthquake.

Maximum observed Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) V

From the USGS event page for ci3319366. U.S. Geological Survey text and figures are in the public domain.

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 1.5 km horizontally, 2.4 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty: ±0.29
Depth from: From location
Station coverage gap: 84°
Stations used: 13

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.7 and up: 49 in the 60 days after this one and 39 in the 30 days before it.

After

Before

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event ci3319366 (also filed as ushis3249, usp00003e1). Read Sun, Oct 4, 2026, 10:20 AM UTC.