California earthquakes

M2.3 earthquake 24km NE of Arvin, CA

A magnitude 2.3 earthquake struck 24km NE of Arvin, CA on Sat, Mar 4, 1978, 10:27 AM PST (18:27 UTC), 6 km (3 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M3.5 22km NNW of Tehachapi, CA. This one was a foreshock.

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

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The earthquake

Magnitude
2.3 (Mh), micro
Magnitude from
Southern California Seismic Network
Local time
UTC
1978-03-04 18:27:15 UTC
Depth
5.6 km (3.5 mi), shallow
Epicenter
35.382° N, 118.665° 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 2.3 km horizontally, 25.7 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.32
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
214°, poorly surrounded by stations
Stations used
6

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 48 in the 60 days after this one and 28 in the 30 days before it.

After

Before

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event ci3337705. Read Sun, Oct 4, 2026, 4:11 PM UTC.