M3.2 earthquake 17km NNE of Indio, CA

A magnitude 3.2 earthquake struck 17km NNE of Indio, CA on Fri, Dec 15, 1978, 4:27 AM PST (12:27 UTC), 2 km (1 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M4.2 22km N of Borrego Springs, CA. This one was a foreshock.

Map

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

Different scales measure different things and differ by a few tenths. The USGS marks one as preferred, and it is the one this page uses.

Mag.	Scale	Computed by	Notes
3.17	ML, local (Richter)	Southern California Seismic Network	Preferred · Final · ±0.203 · 7 stations
3.3	ML, local (Richter)	USGS National Earthquake Information Center	Reviewed

No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.

Reviewed by a seismologist.

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

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 160 in the 60 days after this one and 111 in the 30 days before it.

The first 60 of 160.

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event ci3344025 (also filed as usp0000xy3). Read Mon, Oct 5, 2026, 7:13 AM UTC.