California earthquakes

M2.9 earthquake 17 km WSW of Volta, California

A magnitude 2.9 earthquake struck 17 km WSW of Volta, California on Sun, Mar 17, 1974, 2:56 AM PDT (09:56 UTC), 8 km (5 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M4.4 26 km NE of Greenfield, California. 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
2.9 (Md, duration), micro
Magnitude from
Northern California Seismic System
Local time
UTC
1974-03-17 09:56:57 UTC
Depth
7.8 km (4.8 mi), shallow
Epicenter
37.022° N, 121.103° 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 0.4 km horizontally, 0.5 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.52
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
96°
Stations used
34

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 192 in the 60 days after this one and 154 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 2.127 km NE of Soledad, California · 19194 days ago · 9 km deep · 49 km away
  2. 1.610 km NNE of San Juan Bautista, California · 19194 days ago · 4 km deep · 36 km away
  3. 2.19 km NW of Hollister, California · 19194 days ago · 3 km deep · 34 km away
  4. 2.420 km NNE of Soledad, California · 19193 days ago · 6 km deep · 49 km away
  5. 1.68 km E of San Martin, California · 19193 days ago · 7 km deep · 37 km away
  6. 2.49 km SW of Tres Pinos, California · 19193 days ago · 7 km deep · 41 km away
  7. 3.0Central California · 19193 days ago · 1 km deep · 31 km away
  8. 1.521 km NE of Soledad, California · 19193 days ago · 3 km deep · 51 km away
  9. 2.217 km NW of Pacific Grove, California · 19193 days ago · 15 km deep · 93 km away
  10. 2.524 km NE of Greenfield, California · 19193 days ago · 5 km deep · 61 km away
  11. 2.123 km ESE of Tres Pinos, California · 19193 days ago · 16 km deep · 38 km away
  12. 2.124 km SE of Tres Pinos, California · 19193 days ago · 12 km deep · 41 km away
  13. 2.524 km SE of Tres Pinos, California · 19193 days ago · 11 km deep · 41 km away
  14. 2.07 km S of Gilroy, California · 19193 days ago · 7 km deep · 42 km away
  15. 3.121 km W of Three Rocks, California · 19193 days ago · 11 km deep · 72 km away
  16. 3.539 km ENE of Soledad, California · 19193 days ago · 5 km deep · 52 km away
  17. 1.927 km NE of Soledad, California · 19193 days ago · 5 km deep · 49 km away
  18. 1.5Northern California · 19193 days ago · 8 km deep · 89 km away
  19. 2.78 km NNW of Big Sur, California · 19193 days ago · 12 km deep · 99 km away
  20. 2.121 km NE of Soledad, California · 19192 days ago · 2 km deep · 53 km away
  21. 2.721 km NE of Soledad, California · 19192 days ago · 7 km deep · 52 km away
  22. 1.621 km NNE of Soledad, California · 19192 days ago · 8 km deep · 49 km away
  23. 2.38 km E of San Martin, California · 19192 days ago · 8 km deep · 37 km away
  24. 1.87 km SSE of Gilroy, California · 19191 days ago · 3 km deep · 40 km away
  25. 1.89 km NE of Gilroy, California · 19191 days ago · 9 km deep · 34 km away
  26. 2.227 km ENE of Soledad, California · 19191 days ago · 6 km deep · 52 km away
  27. 2.79 km NNE of Morgan Hill, California · 19191 days ago · 3 km deep · 48 km away
  28. 2.317 km WSW of Volta, California · 19191 days ago · 8 km deep · 0 km away
  29. 1.923 km NE of Greenfield, California · 19190 days ago · 6 km deep · 60 km away
  30. 2.310 km ESE of Gilroy, California · 19190 days ago · 4 km deep · 32 km away
  31. 1.55 km E of Union City, California · 19190 days ago · 8 km deep · 99 km away
  32. 2.12 km SW of Hollister, California · 19190 days ago · 5 km deep · 36 km away
  33. 2.124 km ENE of Soledad, California · 19190 days ago · 4 km deep · 58 km away
  34. 2.84 km E of Union City, California · 19189 days ago · 9 km deep · 100 km away
  35. 2.024 km NE of Greenfield, California · 19189 days ago · 3 km deep · 64 km away
  36. 1.517 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 19189 days ago · 5 km deep · 45 km away
  37. 2.421 km NE of Soledad, California · 19189 days ago · 7 km deep · 52 km away
  38. 2.421 km NE of Soledad, California · 19189 days ago · 8 km deep · 52 km away
  39. 3.040 km ESE of Tres Pinos, California · 19189 days ago · 3 km deep · 45 km away
  40. 2.240 km ESE of Tres Pinos, California · 19189 days ago · 0 km deep · 45 km away
  41. 2.917 km WSW of Volta, California · 19189 days ago · 9 km deep · 0 km away
  42. 3.025 km SE of Tres Pinos, California · 19189 days ago · 10 km deep · 42 km away
  43. 2.517 km WSW of Volta, California · 19189 days ago · 9 km deep · 0 km away
  44. 2.018 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 19189 days ago · 7 km deep · 45 km away
  45. 1.822 km SE of Tres Pinos, California · 19189 days ago · 7 km deep · 44 km away
  46. 3.022 km ENE of Soledad, California · 19188 days ago · 4 km deep · 56 km away
  47. 1.96 km E of East Foothills, California · 19188 days ago · 2 km deep · 69 km away
  48. 1.74 km SSW of Gilroy, California · 19188 days ago · 5 km deep · 43 km away
  49. 2.213 km ENE of Seven Trees, California · 19188 days ago · 1 km deep · 61 km away
  50. 2.522 km NE of Soledad, California · 19188 days ago · 4 km deep · 53 km away
  51. 2.222 km ENE of Soledad, California · 19188 days ago · 2 km deep · 54 km away
  52. 2.414 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 19187 days ago · 4 km deep · 43 km away
  53. 2.423 km ENE of Soledad, California · 19187 days ago · 3 km deep · 59 km away
  54. 3.47 km SE of Sunol, California · 19187 days ago · 9 km deep · 87 km away
  55. 1.96 km SE of Sunol, California · 19187 days ago · 9 km deep · 88 km away
  56. 1.822 km NE of Soledad, California · 19186 days ago · 8 km deep · 53 km away
  57. 2.125 km ENE of Soledad, California · 19186 days ago · 0 km deep · 55 km away
  58. 1.911 km NNE of Tres Pinos, California · 19186 days ago · 6 km deep · 21 km away
  59. 3.72 km W of Hollister, California · 19186 days ago · 4 km deep · 34 km away
  60. 3.323 km ENE of Soledad, California · 19185 days ago · 4 km deep · 53 km away

The first 60 of 192.

Before

  1. 3.019 km W of Three Rocks, California · 19194 days ago · 14 km deep · 74 km away
  2. 1.822 km ENE of San Lucas, California · 19194 days ago · 6 km deep · 91 km away
  3. 2.77 km NNE of Interlaken, California · 19194 days ago · 9 km deep · 54 km away
  4. 2.526 km NE of Soledad, California · 19194 days ago · 6 km deep · 48 km away
  5. 1.84 km ESE of Aromas, California · 19194 days ago · 4 km deep · 47 km away
  6. 2.37 km N of Interlaken, California · 19194 days ago · 9 km deep · 55 km away
  7. 3.821 km NE of Soledad, California · 19194 days ago · 2 km deep · 51 km away
  8. 3.38 km N of Interlaken, California · 19195 days ago · 10 km deep · 55 km away
  9. 2.412 km NE of Hollister, California · 19195 days ago · 7 km deep · 22 km away
  10. 2.121 km NE of Soledad, California · 19195 days ago · 4 km deep · 50 km away
  11. 1.917 km WSW of Volta, California · 19195 days ago · 10 km deep · 1 km away
  12. 1.68 km E of Gilroy, California · 19196 days ago · 4 km deep · 33 km away
  13. 3.321 km NE of Soledad, California · 19197 days ago · 7 km deep · 53 km away
  14. 1.843 km SSW of South Dos Palos, California · 19197 days ago · 3 km deep · 50 km away
  15. 2.121 km NE of Soledad, California · 19197 days ago · 5 km deep · 50 km away
  16. 2.824 km ENE of Soledad, California · 19197 days ago · 4 km deep · 57 km away
  17. 1.65 km NE of San Martin, California · 19197 days ago · 4 km deep · 43 km away
  18. 2.614 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 19197 days ago · 8 km deep · 44 km away
  19. 2.35 km S of Gilroy, California · 19198 days ago · 6 km deep · 43 km away
  20. 3.5Central California · 19198 days ago · 3 km deep · 49 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1019021. Read Sun, Oct 4, 2026, 8:06 AM UTC.