California earthquakes

M2.3 earthquake 9km NNE of Indio, CA

A magnitude 2.3 earthquake struck 9km NNE of Indio, CA on Mon, Oct 16, 1978, 2:28 PM PDT (21:28 UTC), 5 km (3 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M4.3 12km SSW of Big Bear Lake, 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 (ML, local (Richter)), micro
Magnitude from
Southern California Seismic Network
Local time
UTC
1978-10-16 21:28:19 UTC
Depth
5.1 km (3.2 mi), shallow
Epicenter
33.794° N, 116.180° 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, 0.9 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.26
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
44°
Stations used
40

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 169 in the 60 days after this one and 175 in the 30 days before it.

After

The first 60 of 169.

Before

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event ci3313746. Read Sat, Oct 3, 2026, 6:57 AM UTC.