California earthquakes

M2.6 earthquake Central California

A magnitude 2.6 earthquake struck in Central California on Thu, Aug 17, 1978, 7:21 AM PDT (14:21 UTC), 7 km (4 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M4.2 37km SSW of Half Moon Bay, CA. This one was a foreshock.

San Juan Bautista 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
2.6 (md), micro
Local time
UTC
1978-08-17 14:21:05 UTC
Depth
7.1 km (4.4 mi), shallow
Epicenter
36.833° N, 121.564° 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, 0.4 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.12
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
41°
Stations used
54

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 175 in the 60 days after this one and 49 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 1.86 km NNE of Ridgemark, California · 17575 days ago · 6 km deep · 21 km away
  2. 2.237 km SE of Big Sur, California · 17575 days ago · 10 km deep · 93 km away
  3. 1.922 km NE of San Lucas, California · 17574 days ago · 6 km deep · 89 km away
  4. 2.024 km E of Tres Pinos, California · 17574 days ago · 0 km deep · 47 km away
  5. 2.124 km E of Tres Pinos, California · 17574 days ago · 1 km deep · 47 km away
  6. 1.821 km NE of Soledad, California · 17572 days ago · 5 km deep · 45 km away
  7. 1.68 km N of Morgan Hill, California · 17572 days ago · 4 km deep · 42 km away
  8. 1.72 km SW of San Juan Bautista, California · 17571 days ago · 7 km deep · 1 km away
  9. 1.723 km ENE of Soledad, California · 17571 days ago · 6 km deep · 58 km away
  10. 2.31 km SW of Los Altos Hills, California · 17571 days ago · 4 km deep · 79 km away
  11. 2.08 km WSW of Saratoga, California · 17570 days ago · 10 km deep · 65 km away
  12. 3.126 km WNW of Diablo Grande, California · 17569 days ago · 5 km deep · 74 km away
  13. 1.64 km SW of Tres Pinos, California · 17569 days ago · 6 km deep · 21 km away
  14. 1.78 km NE of Gilroy, California · 17566 days ago · 8 km deep · 25 km away
  15. 2.23 km NNW of Hollister, California · 17566 days ago · 7 km deep · 14 km away
  16. 1.53 km W of Ridgemark, California · 17566 days ago · 7 km deep · 15 km away
  17. 1.721 km NE of Soledad, California · 17566 days ago · 5 km deep · 50 km away
  18. 2.32 km ESE of Tres Pinos, California · 17566 days ago · 9 km deep · 25 km away
  19. 3.26 km SE of Sunol, California · 17566 days ago · 10 km deep · 84 km away
  20. 1.92 km ESE of Aromas, California · 17565 days ago · 7 km deep · 7 km away
  21. 3.021 km NE of Soledad, California · 17565 days ago · 7 km deep · 50 km away
  22. 2.115 km SE of Livermore, California · 17565 days ago · 2 km deep · 82 km away
  23. 2.39 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 17565 days ago · 7 km deep · 59 km away
  24. 1.79 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 17565 days ago · 8 km deep · 59 km away
  25. 4.19 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 17565 days ago · 8 km deep · 60 km away
  26. 2.010 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 17565 days ago · 8 km deep · 58 km away
  27. 1.89 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 17565 days ago · 8 km deep · 59 km away
  28. 3.810 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 17565 days ago · 8 km deep · 58 km away
  29. 1.59 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 17565 days ago · 7 km deep · 58 km away
  30. 2.210 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 17565 days ago · 7 km deep · 59 km away
  31. 2.69 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 17565 days ago · 8 km deep · 60 km away
  32. 2.59 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 17565 days ago · 5 km deep · 60 km away
  33. 1.510 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 17565 days ago · 8 km deep · 58 km away
  34. 2.110 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 17565 days ago · 7 km deep · 58 km away
  35. 1.810 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 17565 days ago · 7 km deep · 59 km away
  36. 1.610 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 17565 days ago · 7 km deep · 58 km away
  37. 2.010 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 17564 days ago · 8 km deep · 58 km away
  38. 2.410 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 17564 days ago · 8 km deep · 59 km away
  39. 1.510 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 17564 days ago · 8 km deep · 58 km away
  40. 2.616 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 17564 days ago · 6 km deep · 33 km away
  41. 1.816 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 17564 days ago · 6 km deep · 33 km away
  42. 2.016 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 17564 days ago · 6 km deep · 33 km away
  43. 2.216 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 17564 days ago · 6 km deep · 33 km away
  44. 2.415 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 17564 days ago · 6 km deep · 33 km away
  45. 2.0Central California · 17563 days ago · 2 km deep · 41 km away
  46. 1.716 km NE of East Foothills, California · 17563 days ago · 6 km deep · 74 km away
  47. 1.710 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 17562 days ago · 7 km deep · 58 km away
  48. 2.46 km ENE of Seven Trees, California · 17562 days ago · 5 km deep · 57 km away
  49. 2.46 km ENE of Seven Trees, California · 17561 days ago · 6 km deep · 57 km away
  50. 3.36 km ENE of Seven Trees, California · 17561 days ago · 5 km deep · 57 km away
  51. 1.713 km E of Seven Trees, California · 17560 days ago · 1 km deep · 52 km away
  52. 1.87 km NE of Interlaken, California · 17560 days ago · 4 km deep · 21 km away
  53. 1.915 km SW of Los Banos, California · 17560 days ago · 6 km deep · 54 km away
  54. 2.323 km NE of Greenfield, California · 17559 days ago · 9 km deep · 62 km away
  55. 1.92 km ENE of Ridgemark, California · 17558 days ago · 6 km deep · 20 km away
  56. 1.621 km NE of Soledad, California · 17558 days ago · 0 km deep · 43 km away
  57. 2.222 km ENE of San Lucas, California · 17558 days ago · 9 km deep · 94 km away
  58. 1.79 km ESE of Gilroy, California · 17557 days ago · 4 km deep · 18 km away
  59. 2.66 km ENE of Seven Trees, California · 17557 days ago · 5 km deep · 57 km away
  60. 1.612 km SW of Soledad, California · 17556 days ago · 11 km deep · 56 km away

The first 60 of 175.

Before

  1. 2.330 km SSW of South Dos Palos, California · 17576 days ago · 6 km deep · 66 km away
  2. 2.323 km NNE of San Lucas, California · 17576 days ago · 6 km deep · 85 km away
  3. 2.3Central California · 17577 days ago · 2 km deep · 61 km away
  4. 1.69 km NW of Hollister, California · 17577 days ago · 4 km deep · 13 km away
  5. 1.67 km NNE of Corralitos, California · 17577 days ago · 13 km deep · 31 km away
  6. 2.421 km NE of Soledad, California · 17577 days ago · 5 km deep · 45 km away
  7. 1.624 km E of Tres Pinos, California · 17578 days ago · 0 km deep · 47 km away
  8. 1.810 km SE of Sunol, California · 17579 days ago · 5 km deep · 80 km away
  9. 1.523 km NNE of San Lucas, California · 17579 days ago · 4 km deep · 83 km away
  10. 1.71 km WSW of Tres Pinos, California · 17579 days ago · 6 km deep · 21 km away
  11. 1.929 km ENE of Soledad, California · 17579 days ago · 6 km deep · 55 km away
  12. 3.211 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 17581 days ago · 3 km deep · 27 km away
  13. 1.929 km ENE of Soledad, California · 17581 days ago · 6 km deep · 57 km away
  14. 1.83 km NNW of Hollister, California · 17582 days ago · 7 km deep · 14 km away
  15. 2.46 km NE of East Foothills, California · 17582 days ago · 8 km deep · 67 km away
  16. 2.32 km NE of East Foothills, California · 17582 days ago · 0 km deep · 66 km away
  17. 2.617 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 17583 days ago · 3 km deep · 35 km away
  18. 2.510 km SW of Ridgemark, California · 17583 days ago · 6 km deep · 12 km away
  19. 2.114 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 17584 days ago · 4 km deep · 31 km away
  20. 1.624 km SE of Tres Pinos, California · 17585 days ago · 8 km deep · 44 km away

Earthquakes todayCalifornia earthquakesLive radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1041719. Read Wed, Sep 30, 2026, 4:27 PM UTC.