California earthquakes

M3.6 earthquake 12 km NW of Avenal, California

A magnitude 3.6 earthquake struck 12 km NW of Avenal, California on Wed, Jan 14, 1976, 3:01 AM PST (11:01 UTC), 9 km (5 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M4.9 12 km ESE of Coalinga, California. This one was a foreshock.

Avenal forecastMore in California

Map

Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

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The earthquake

Magnitude
3.6 (md), minor
Local time
UTC
1976-01-14 11:01:05 UTC
Depth
8.8 km (5.5 mi), shallow
Epicenter
36.088° N, 120.220° 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, 0.3 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.70
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
235°, poorly surrounded by stations
Stations used
32

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: at least 199 in the 60 days after this one and 59 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 1.812 km ESE of Coalinga, California · 18521 days ago · 9 km deep · 1 km away
  2. 1.511 km SE of Coalinga, California · 18521 days ago · 9 km deep · 4 km away
  3. 2.312 km ESE of Coalinga, California · 18521 days ago · 9 km deep · 2 km away
  4. 2.512 km ESE of Coalinga, California · 18521 days ago · 9 km deep · 3 km away
  5. 2.812 km ESE of Coalinga, California · 18521 days ago · 9 km deep · 2 km away
  6. 1.512 km ESE of Coalinga, California · 18521 days ago · 10 km deep · 2 km away
  7. 1.612 km ESE of Coalinga, California · 18521 days ago · 9 km deep · 2 km away
  8. 3.312 km ESE of Coalinga, California · 18521 days ago · 9 km deep · 1 km away
  9. 2.812 km ESE of Coalinga, California · 18521 days ago · 9 km deep · 2 km away
  10. 3.812 km ESE of Coalinga, California · 18521 days ago · 10 km deep · 2 km away
  11. 3.012 km NW of Avenal, California · 18521 days ago · 8 km deep · 1 km away
  12. 4.912 km ESE of Coalinga, California · 18521 days ago · 10 km deep · 1 km away
  13. 2.812 km SE of Coalinga, California · 18521 days ago · 8 km deep · 4 km away
  14. 1.512 km ESE of Coalinga, California · 18521 days ago · 9 km deep · 2 km away
  15. 1.912 km SE of Coalinga, California · 18521 days ago · 8 km deep · 4 km away
  16. 2.011 km SE of Coalinga, California · 18521 days ago · 9 km deep · 4 km away
  17. 2.612 km ESE of Coalinga, California · 18521 days ago · 9 km deep · 2 km away
  18. 2.510 km NW of Avenal, California · 18521 days ago · 9 km deep · 3 km away
  19. 3.212 km ESE of Coalinga, California · 18521 days ago · 9 km deep · 2 km away
  20. 3.411 km ESE of Coalinga, California · 18521 days ago · 11 km deep · 2 km away
  21. 2.312 km ESE of Coalinga, California · 18521 days ago · 8 km deep · 2 km away
  22. 1.711 km ESE of Coalinga, California · 18521 days ago · 9 km deep · 2 km away
  23. 3.611 km ESE of Coalinga, California · 18521 days ago · 11 km deep · 2 km away
  24. 1.911 km ESE of Coalinga, California · 18521 days ago · 9 km deep · 2 km away
  25. 2.212 km ESE of Coalinga, California · 18520 days ago · 10 km deep · 2 km away
  26. 2.64 km SW of Kettleman City, California · 18520 days ago · 24 km deep · 24 km away
  27. 2.521 km S of Kettleman City, California · 18520 days ago · 23 km deep · 40 km away
  28. 1.911 km ESE of Coalinga, California · 18520 days ago · 10 km deep · 2 km away
  29. 1.711 km ESE of Coalinga, California · 18520 days ago · 10 km deep · 2 km away
  30. 3.012 km ESE of Coalinga, California · 18520 days ago · 9 km deep · 1 km away
  31. 2.110 km ESE of Coalinga, California · 18520 days ago · 9 km deep · 3 km away
  32. 1.510 km SE of Coalinga, California · 18520 days ago · 9 km deep · 4 km away
  33. 2.612 km NNW of Avenal, California · 18520 days ago · 5 km deep · 3 km away
  34. 3.312 km ESE of Coalinga, California · 18520 days ago · 9 km deep · 2 km away
  35. 1.811 km ESE of Coalinga, California · 18520 days ago · 8 km deep · 3 km away
  36. 1.710 km SE of Coalinga, California · 18519 days ago · 9 km deep · 4 km away
  37. 2.621 km NE of Soledad, California · 18519 days ago · 2 km deep · 99 km away
  38. 1.710 km SE of Coalinga, California · 18519 days ago · 9 km deep · 4 km away
  39. 1.810 km SE of Coalinga, California · 18519 days ago · 9 km deep · 4 km away
  40. 2.210 km SE of Coalinga, California · 18519 days ago · 9 km deep · 4 km away
  41. 3.711 km ESE of Coalinga, California · 18519 days ago · 9 km deep · 2 km away
  42. 1.510 km SE of Coalinga, California · 18519 days ago · 9 km deep · 4 km away
  43. 1.711 km NNW of Avenal, California · 18519 days ago · 7 km deep · 2 km away
  44. 2.224 km ENE of Soledad, California · 18519 days ago · 5 km deep · 92 km away
  45. 2.022 km ENE of Soledad, California · 18518 days ago · 4 km deep · 92 km away
  46. 1.6Central California · 18518 days ago · 9 km deep · 5 km away
  47. 2.09 km SE of Coalinga, California · 18518 days ago · 9 km deep · 6 km away
  48. 2.124 km NE of Greenfield, California · 18518 days ago · 4 km deep · 88 km away
  49. 2.015 km NW of Parkfield, California · 18518 days ago · 6 km deep · 31 km away
  50. 1.827 km NE of Soledad, California · 18517 days ago · 9 km deep · 95 km away
  51. 1.7Central California · 18517 days ago · 9 km deep · 3 km away
  52. 1.710 km ESE of Coalinga, California · 18517 days ago · 10 km deep · 4 km away
  53. 2.210 km SE of Coalinga, California · 18516 days ago · 9 km deep · 5 km away
  54. 2.011 km SE of Coalinga, California · 18516 days ago · 8 km deep · 4 km away
  55. 2.038 km NE of King City, California · 18516 days ago · 19 km deep · 69 km away
  56. 2.110 km SE of Coalinga, California · 18516 days ago · 9 km deep · 5 km away
  57. 2.112 km ESE of Coalinga, California · 18515 days ago · 10 km deep · 1 km away
  58. 2.625 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 18515 days ago · 1 km deep · 79 km away
  59. 2.825 km NE of Greenfield, California · 18514 days ago · 2 km deep · 82 km away
  60. 2.322 km ENE of Soledad, California · 18514 days ago · 4 km deep · 91 km away

The first 60 of at least 199.

Before

  1. 1.621 km NE of Soledad, California · 18522 days ago · 7 km deep · 96 km away
  2. 1.912 km NW of Avenal, California · 18523 days ago · 9 km deep · 1 km away
  3. 2.124 km ENE of Soledad, California · 18524 days ago · 5 km deep · 88 km away
  4. 2.224 km ENE of Soledad, California · 18524 days ago · 5 km deep · 88 km away
  5. 2.226 km ENE of Soledad, California · 18524 days ago · 8 km deep · 91 km away
  6. 1.614 km NNE of Shandon, California · 18526 days ago · 9 km deep · 35 km away
  7. 1.927 km ENE of Soledad, California · 18527 days ago · 7 km deep · 91 km away
  8. 1.821 km NE of Soledad, California · 18531 days ago · 6 km deep · 96 km away
  9. 2.624 km ENE of Soledad, California · 18531 days ago · 5 km deep · 88 km away
  10. 2.723 km ENE of San Lucas, California · 18531 days ago · 6 km deep · 56 km away
  11. 1.718 km NW of Parkfield, California · 18531 days ago · 5 km deep · 33 km away
  12. 2.622 km NNE of San Ardo, California · 18531 days ago · 7 km deep · 51 km away
  13. 2.8Central California · 18532 days ago · 8 km deep · 76 km away
  14. 2.123 km NW of Parkfield, California · 18533 days ago · 3 km deep · 36 km away
  15. 1.924 km ENE of Soledad, California · 18533 days ago · 5 km deep · 88 km away
  16. 2.024 km NE of Greenfield, California · 18534 days ago · 4 km deep · 84 km away
  17. 3.025 km ENE of Soledad, California · 18534 days ago · 10 km deep · 88 km away
  18. 1.722 km NW of Parkfield, California · 18535 days ago · 3 km deep · 35 km away
  19. 2.215 km S of Three Rocks, California · 18536 days ago · 6 km deep · 36 km away
  20. 1.818 km NW of Parkfield, California · 18537 days ago · 3 km deep · 33 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1028331 (also filed as ci3001762). Read Tue, Sep 29, 2026, 9:23 PM UTC.