California earthquakes

M1.6 earthquake Central California

A magnitude 1.6 earthquake struck in Central California on Sat, Dec 31, 1977, 8:26 PM PST (04:26 UTC), 8 km (5 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M1.9 Central California. This one was a foreshock.

Ridgemark 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
1.6 (md), micro
Local time
UTC
1978-01-01 04:26:19 UTC
Depth
8.4 km (5.2 mi), shallow
Epicenter
36.696° N, 121.405° 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 0.2 km horizontally, 0.5 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.11
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
48°
Stations used
33

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 137 in the 60 days after this one and 41 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 1.623 km NE of Greenfield, California · 17797 days ago · 1 km deep · 41 km away
  2. 1.9Central California · 17797 days ago · 8 km deep · 26 km away
  3. 1.84 km NE of Interlaken, California · 17796 days ago · 12 km deep · 41 km away
  4. 2.312 km SW of Tres Pinos, California · 17796 days ago · 9 km deep · 0 km away
  5. 2.6Central California · 17796 days ago · 6 km deep · 23 km away
  6. 2.1Central California · 17796 days ago · 4 km deep · 34 km away
  7. 2.022 km ENE of Tres Pinos, California · 17796 days ago · 6 km deep · 34 km away
  8. 3.1Central California · 17796 days ago · 9 km deep · 33 km away
  9. 2.127 km ENE of Soledad, California · 17796 days ago · 9 km deep · 34 km away
  10. 1.812 km SW of Tres Pinos, California · 17795 days ago · 8 km deep · 0 km away
  11. 1.621 km NNE of Soledad, California · 17795 days ago · 4 km deep · 22 km away
  12. 2.53 km S of San Juan Bautista, California · 17795 days ago · 7 km deep · 17 km away
  13. 2.54 km SW of Tres Pinos, California · 17795 days ago · 13 km deep · 8 km away
  14. 1.624 km NE of Greenfield, California · 17794 days ago · 5 km deep · 39 km away
  15. 1.821 km NE of Soledad, California · 17794 days ago · 7 km deep · 23 km away
  16. 1.68 km SSW of Ridgemark, California · 17793 days ago · 6 km deep · 5 km away
  17. 3.010 km NNW of Hollister, California · 17793 days ago · 2 km deep · 28 km away
  18. 1.626 km NE of Soledad, California · 17792 days ago · 8 km deep · 31 km away
  19. 1.823 km NE of San Lucas, California · 17792 days ago · 6 km deep · 66 km away
  20. 1.812 km SW of Tres Pinos, California · 17792 days ago · 8 km deep · 0 km away
  21. 3.112 km SW of Tres Pinos, California · 17791 days ago · 9 km deep · 0 km away
  22. 1.612 km SW of Tres Pinos, California · 17791 days ago · 9 km deep · 0 km away
  23. 3.026 km NE of Greenfield, California · 17791 days ago · 8 km deep · 43 km away
  24. 1.922 km NE of San Lucas, California · 17791 days ago · 7 km deep · 69 km away
  25. 1.84 km W of Ridgemark, California · 17790 days ago · 3 km deep · 12 km away
  26. 2.014 km E of Tres Pinos, California · 17790 days ago · 5 km deep · 24 km away
  27. 1.614 km E of Seven Trees, California · 17789 days ago · 2 km deep · 71 km away
  28. 2.318 km SSW of Three Rocks, California · 17789 days ago · 9 km deep · 93 km away
  29. 1.99 km NE of San Juan Bautista, California · 17789 days ago · 3 km deep · 25 km away
  30. 3.014 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 17788 days ago · 3 km deep · 12 km away
  31. 1.821 km NE of Soledad, California · 17786 days ago · 6 km deep · 31 km away
  32. 1.621 km NE of Soledad, California · 17786 days ago · 3 km deep · 26 km away
  33. 2.65 km NE of Amesti, California · 17786 days ago · 12 km deep · 46 km away
  34. 2.224 km ENE of San Ardo, California · 17784 days ago · 0 km deep · 95 km away
  35. 2.12 km SW of Los Altos Hills, California · 17784 days ago · 7 km deep · 100 km away
  36. 1.88 km SSW of Ridgemark, California · 17784 days ago · 6 km deep · 5 km away
  37. 2.722 km ENE of Soledad, California · 17784 days ago · 3 km deep · 31 km away
  38. 1.62 km SSW of San Juan Bautista, California · 17784 days ago · 4 km deep · 19 km away
  39. 1.522 km ENE of Soledad, California · 17782 days ago · 1 km deep · 33 km away
  40. 3.421 km NNE of Soledad, California · 17782 days ago · 6 km deep · 22 km away
  41. 2.421 km NE of Soledad, California · 17782 days ago · 6 km deep · 23 km away
  42. 1.721 km NNE of Soledad, California · 17782 days ago · 6 km deep · 22 km away
  43. 2.05 km SSW of Tres Pinos, California · 17782 days ago · 8 km deep · 8 km away
  44. 2.422 km NE of Soledad, California · 17781 days ago · 6 km deep · 23 km away
  45. 1.915 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 17780 days ago · 10 km deep · 8 km away
  46. 2.322 km ENE of Tres Pinos, California · 17780 days ago · 5 km deep · 34 km away
  47. 2.45 km SW of Gilroy, California · 17780 days ago · 7 km deep · 36 km away
  48. 1.824 km NE of Greenfield, California · 17778 days ago · 0 km deep · 44 km away
  49. 2.17 km SSE of Gilroy, California · 17777 days ago · 5 km deep · 30 km away
  50. 1.921 km SW of Diablo Grande, California · 17776 days ago · 7 km deep · 66 km away
  51. 2.03 km W of San Juan Bautista, California · 17776 days ago · 6 km deep · 23 km away
  52. 1.524 km ENE of Soledad, California · 17776 days ago · 3 km deep · 37 km away
  53. 2.826 km NE of Soledad, California · 17775 days ago · 9 km deep · 33 km away
  54. 1.626 km NE of Soledad, California · 17775 days ago · 9 km deep · 33 km away
  55. 1.621 km NE of Soledad, California · 17775 days ago · 4 km deep · 30 km away
  56. 1.815 km SW of Soledad, California · 17774 days ago · 13 km deep · 43 km away
  57. 2.225 km SE of Tres Pinos, California · 17774 days ago · 10 km deep · 28 km away
  58. 1.915 km SW of Soledad, California · 17774 days ago · 11 km deep · 42 km away
  59. 1.628 km ENE of Soledad, California · 17773 days ago · 10 km deep · 34 km away
  60. 1.817 km SW of Soledad, California · 17773 days ago · 15 km deep · 45 km away

The first 60 of 137.

Before

  1. 1.619 km ENE of Big Sur, California · 17797 days ago · 7 km deep · 46 km away
  2. 1.91 km ESE of Tres Pinos, California · 17797 days ago · 7 km deep · 13 km away
  3. 3.39 km NNW of Hollister, California · 17797 days ago · 2 km deep · 27 km away
  4. 2.621 km NE of Soledad, California · 17797 days ago · 7 km deep · 23 km away
  5. 1.612 km SW of Tres Pinos, California · 17798 days ago · 9 km deep · 0 km away
  6. 2.322 km NE of San Lucas, California · 17798 days ago · 6 km deep · 69 km away
  7. 2.04 km ESE of Aromas, California · 17798 days ago · 6 km deep · 26 km away
  8. 2.36 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 17800 days ago · 2 km deep · 81 km away
  9. 2.211 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 17800 days ago · 4 km deep · 8 km away
  10. 1.912 km SW of Tres Pinos, California · 17800 days ago · 9 km deep · 0 km away
  11. 2.26 km WSW of Gilroy, California · 17801 days ago · 3 km deep · 37 km away
  12. 2.024 km NE of King City, California · 17801 days ago · 4 km deep · 53 km away
  13. 1.714 km E of Seven Trees, California · 17803 days ago · 3 km deep · 70 km away
  14. 2.021 km NNE of Soledad, California · 17803 days ago · 8 km deep · 22 km away
  15. 1.623 km WNW of Diablo Grande, California · 17804 days ago · 2 km deep · 85 km away
  16. 1.7Central California · 17804 days ago · 1 km deep · 44 km away
  17. 1.66 km NNW of Hollister, California · 17805 days ago · 3 km deep · 23 km away
  18. 2.51 km NNE of Tres Pinos, California · 17805 days ago · 8 km deep · 14 km away
  19. 1.68 km NE of Milpitas, California · 17805 days ago · 7 km deep · 95 km away
  20. 1.710 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 17806 days ago · 7 km deep · 77 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1038408. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 8:23 PM UTC.