California earthquakes

M3.5 earthquake 28 km W of Three Rocks, California

A magnitude 3.5 earthquake struck 28 km W of Three Rocks, California on Sat, Mar 20, 1976, 2:38 AM PST (10:38 UTC), 8 km (5 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M4.2 28 km W of Three Rocks, California. This one was a foreshock.

Mendota forecastMore in California

Map

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

Open the live map with earthquakes

The earthquake

Magnitude
3.5 (md), minor
Local time
UTC
1976-03-20 10:38:09 UTC
Depth
7.6 km (4.7 mi), shallow
Epicenter
36.541° N, 120.711° 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 0.5 km horizontally, 0.6 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.20
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
162°
Stations used
35

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 186 in the 60 days after this one and 134 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 3.229 km W of Three Rocks, California · 18456 days ago · 9 km deep · 1 km away
  2. 2.77 km WSW of Ridgemark, California · 18455 days ago · 8 km deep · 70 km away
  3. 3.57 km WSW of Ridgemark, California · 18455 days ago · 9 km deep · 71 km away
  4. 1.6Central California · 18454 days ago · 3 km deep · 60 km away
  5. 1.6Central California · 18454 days ago · 2 km deep · 28 km away
  6. 2.53 km SSE of San Ardo, California · 18454 days ago · 7 km deep · 63 km away
  7. 2.413 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 18454 days ago · 4 km deep · 53 km away
  8. 1.5Central California · 18453 days ago · 6 km deep · 65 km away
  9. 2.57 km WSW of Ridgemark, California · 18453 days ago · 8 km deep · 71 km away
  10. 2.48 km ENE of Gilroy, California · 18452 days ago · 4 km deep · 87 km away
  11. 1.526 km ESE of Tres Pinos, California · 18452 days ago · 0 km deep · 35 km away
  12. 1.66 km SE of San Juan Bautista, California · 18451 days ago · 9 km deep · 75 km away
  13. 2.110 km NE of Tres Pinos, California · 18450 days ago · 6 km deep · 59 km away
  14. 1.522 km ENE of Soledad, California · 18450 days ago · 4 km deep · 35 km away
  15. 1.57 km SSW of Tres Pinos, California · 18450 days ago · 4 km deep · 62 km away
  16. 1.722 km ENE of Soledad, California · 18450 days ago · 4 km deep · 34 km away
  17. 2.513 km NW of Parkfield, California · 18449 days ago · 4 km deep · 64 km away
  18. 1.6Central California · 18449 days ago · 2 km deep · 51 km away
  19. 1.910 km NNW of Hollister, California · 18448 days ago · 4 km deep · 80 km away
  20. 1.99 km NW of Hollister, California · 18448 days ago · 3 km deep · 80 km away
  21. 2.810 km NW of Hollister, California · 18447 days ago · 4 km deep · 80 km away
  22. 2.221 km NE of Soledad, California · 18446 days ago · 8 km deep · 37 km away
  23. 2.0Central California · 18446 days ago · 7 km deep · 91 km away
  24. 2.422 km NE of Greenfield, California · 18446 days ago · 0 km deep · 31 km away
  25. 2.0Central California · 18446 days ago · 7 km deep · 28 km away
  26. 2.09 km NW of Hollister, California · 18445 days ago · 1 km deep · 80 km away
  27. 2.19 km NE of San Juan Bautista, California · 18443 days ago · 5 km deep · 80 km away
  28. 2.010 km NNW of Hollister, California · 18443 days ago · 4 km deep · 79 km away
  29. 2.824 km NE of Greenfield, California · 18443 days ago · 7 km deep · 32 km away
  30. 2.722 km NE of San Lucas, California · 18443 days ago · 5 km deep · 31 km away
  31. 2.823 km ENE of San Ardo, California · 18442 days ago · 7 km deep · 49 km away
  32. 1.87 km NE of San Juan Bautista, California · 18442 days ago · 5 km deep · 80 km away
  33. 1.87 km NE of San Juan Bautista, California · 18442 days ago · 4 km deep · 80 km away
  34. 1.85 km SSW of Gilroy, California · 18442 days ago · 6 km deep · 92 km away
  35. 3.43 km NE of Avenal, California · 18442 days ago · 8 km deep · 79 km away
  36. 2.016 km NW of Parkfield, California · 18441 days ago · 5 km deep · 61 km away
  37. 2.47 km WSW of Ridgemark, California · 18441 days ago · 10 km deep · 71 km away
  38. 2.216 km NW of Parkfield, California · 18440 days ago · 4 km deep · 61 km away
  39. 2.52 km NW of Hollister, California · 18440 days ago · 4 km deep · 73 km away
  40. 1.94 km SSE of Parkfield, California · 18440 days ago · 4 km deep · 80 km away
  41. 2.79 km NW of Hollister, California · 18439 days ago · 6 km deep · 79 km away
  42. 1.64 km NE of Ridgemark, California · 18439 days ago · 6 km deep · 64 km away
  43. 2.323 km NE of King City, California · 18439 days ago · 5 km deep · 29 km away
  44. 3.225 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 18439 days ago · 1 km deep · 28 km away
  45. 2.413 km N of Hollister, California · 18438 days ago · 7 km deep · 76 km away
  46. 3.025 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 18438 days ago · -1 km deep · 28 km away
  47. 2.96 km SE of Tres Pinos, California · 18438 days ago · 10 km deep · 54 km away
  48. 1.613 km SSE of Parkfield, California · 18437 days ago · 10 km deep · 88 km away
  49. 1.921 km NNE of San Ardo, California · 18437 days ago · 6 km deep · 40 km away
  50. 1.924 km NE of Greenfield, California · 18437 days ago · 5 km deep · 31 km away
  51. 1.59 km SSW of Tres Pinos, California · 18437 days ago · 2 km deep · 60 km away
  52. 3.532 km W of Three Rocks, California · 18436 days ago · 8 km deep · 4 km away
  53. 1.815 km NW of Parkfield, California · 18436 days ago · 4 km deep · 63 km away
  54. 1.54 km WNW of San Juan Bautista, California · 18436 days ago · 7 km deep · 86 km away
  55. 2.221 km NE of Soledad, California · 18436 days ago · 6 km deep · 41 km away
  56. 2.523 km NNE of San Lucas, California · 18436 days ago · 3 km deep · 30 km away
  57. 2.621 km SE of Tres Pinos, California · 18436 days ago · 8 km deep · 41 km away
  58. 1.719 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 18436 days ago · 5 km deep · 46 km away
  59. 3.522 km NE of Soledad, California · 18436 days ago · 4 km deep · 42 km away
  60. 3.023 km NNE of San Lucas, California · 18435 days ago · 4 km deep · 30 km away

The first 60 of 186.

Before

  1. 2.7Central California · 18457 days ago · 4 km deep · 28 km away
  2. 1.710 km ESE of Coalinga, California · 18457 days ago · 9 km deep · 64 km away
  3. 2.95 km SW of King City, California · 18457 days ago · 6 km deep · 58 km away
  4. 2.724 km NE of Greenfield, California · 18458 days ago · 5 km deep · 31 km away
  5. 2.63 km S of Oak Shores, California · 18458 days ago · 3 km deep · 92 km away
  6. 3.117 km E of Tres Pinos, California · 18458 days ago · 4 km deep · 48 km away
  7. 1.917 km E of Tres Pinos, California · 18459 days ago · 5 km deep · 48 km away
  8. 2.825 km NE of King City, California · 18459 days ago · 4 km deep · 28 km away
  9. 1.716 km E of Tres Pinos, California · 18459 days ago · 4 km deep · 49 km away
  10. 2.716 km E of Tres Pinos, California · 18459 days ago · 6 km deep · 48 km away
  11. 2.317 km E of Tres Pinos, California · 18459 days ago · 5 km deep · 48 km away
  12. 2.316 km E of Tres Pinos, California · 18459 days ago · 6 km deep · 49 km away
  13. 1.916 km E of Tres Pinos, California · 18459 days ago · 7 km deep · 49 km away
  14. 1.916 km E of Tres Pinos, California · 18459 days ago · 6 km deep · 49 km away
  15. 4.3Central California · 18459 days ago · 7 km deep · 49 km away
  16. 2.225 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 18459 days ago · 2 km deep · 29 km away
  17. 1.78 km NE of Gilroy, California · 18459 days ago · 7 km deep · 92 km away
  18. 2.5Central California · 18459 days ago · 10 km deep · 38 km away
  19. 1.912 km N of Whitley Gardens, California · 18459 days ago · 8 km deep · 87 km away
  20. 1.61 km ESE of Tres Pinos, California · 18460 days ago · 7 km deep · 59 km away

Earthquakes todayCalifornia earthquakesLive radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1029201 (also filed as ci3002430). Read Wed, Sep 30, 2026, 11:48 AM UTC.