California earthquakes

M1.6 earthquake 23 km NW of Parkfield, California

A magnitude 1.6 earthquake struck 23 km NW of Parkfield, California on Tue, Dec 12, 1978, 8:32 AM PST (16:32 UTC), 2 km (2 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M2.1 22 km NE of Soledad, California. This one was a foreshock.

Coalinga 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
1978-12-12 16:32:18 UTC
Depth
2.4 km (1.5 mi), shallow
Epicenter
36.049° N, 120.611° 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
±0.09
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
73°
Stations used
11

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 88 in the 60 days after this one and 41 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 2.122 km NE of Soledad, California · 17451 days ago · 4 km deep · 79 km away
  2. 2.024 km NE of Greenfield, California · 17450 days ago · 7 km deep · 62 km away
  3. 1.78 km NW of Avila Beach, California · 17450 days ago · 4 km deep · 92 km away
  4. 3.123 km NE of San Ardo, California · 17450 days ago · 7 km deep · 20 km away
  5. 2.322 km NE of San Ardo, California · 17450 days ago · 5 km deep · 21 km away
  6. 2.621 km NE of Soledad, California · 17448 days ago · 4 km deep · 78 km away
  7. 1.616 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 17448 days ago · 8 km deep · 89 km away
  8. 1.721 km NE of Soledad, California · 17447 days ago · 7 km deep · 75 km away
  9. 1.921 km NE of Soledad, California · 17447 days ago · 5 km deep · 72 km away
  10. 1.521 km NE of Soledad, California · 17447 days ago · 6 km deep · 71 km away
  11. 2.010 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 17446 days ago · 5 km deep · 97 km away
  12. 2.221 km NE of Soledad, California · 17446 days ago · 4 km deep · 78 km away
  13. 3.322 km NE of San Ardo, California · 17445 days ago · 8 km deep · 15 km away
  14. 1.918 km NW of San Simeon, California · 17444 days ago · 11 km deep · 73 km away
  15. 1.816 km E of Tres Pinos, California · 17441 days ago · 5 km deep · 97 km away
  16. 1.724 km ENE of Soledad, California · 17441 days ago · 4 km deep · 65 km away
  17. 2.021 km NE of Soledad, California · 17440 days ago · 4 km deep · 76 km away
  18. 2.422 km NNE of Soledad, California · 17439 days ago · 9 km deep · 82 km away
  19. 1.816 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 17439 days ago · 5 km deep · 88 km away
  20. 1.615 km NW of Parkfield, California · 17438 days ago · 5 km deep · 7 km away
  21. 1.721 km NE of Soledad, California · 17438 days ago · 8 km deep · 72 km away
  22. 3.025 km ENE of San Ardo, California · 17436 days ago · 4 km deep · 4 km away
  23. 1.621 km NE of San Ardo, California · 17435 days ago · 3 km deep · 21 km away
  24. 2.123 km NE of San Ardo, California · 17434 days ago · 7 km deep · 21 km away
  25. 2.41 km ESE of Kettleman City, California · 17433 days ago · 12 km deep · 60 km away
  26. 2.214 km SSE of Kettleman City, California · 17432 days ago · 6 km deep · 68 km away
  27. 1.823 km NW of Parkfield, California · 17431 days ago · 1 km deep · 0 km away
  28. 2.58 km E of Huron, California · 17431 days ago · 21 km deep · 57 km away
  29. 3.310 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 17430 days ago · 5 km deep · 95 km away
  30. 2.59 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 17430 days ago · 5 km deep · 95 km away
  31. 2.024 km ENE of Soledad, California · 17429 days ago · 3 km deep · 65 km away
  32. 2.021 km NE of Soledad, California · 17429 days ago · 2 km deep · 77 km away
  33. 2.227 km NW of San Simeon, California · 17429 days ago · 11 km deep · 77 km away
  34. 1.534 km ENE of Soledad, California · 17429 days ago · 6 km deep · 71 km away
  35. 1.83 km S of San Ardo, California · 17428 days ago · 9 km deep · 27 km away
  36. 2.815 km NW of Parkfield, California · 17428 days ago · 5 km deep · 7 km away
  37. 2.48km SSE of Kettleman City, CA · 17428 days ago · 6 km deep · 63 km away
  38. 1.921 km NE of Soledad, California · 17428 days ago · 4 km deep · 78 km away
  39. 2.122 km NE of Soledad, California · 17428 days ago · 2 km deep · 72 km away
  40. 3.810 km ESE of Coalinga, California · 17425 days ago · 10 km deep · 32 km away
  41. 2.310 km ESE of Coalinga, California · 17425 days ago · 9 km deep · 33 km away
  42. 2.311 km ESE of Coalinga, California · 17425 days ago · 9 km deep · 33 km away
  43. 2.210 km ESE of Coalinga, California · 17425 days ago · 10 km deep · 33 km away
  44. 2.810 km ESE of Coalinga, California · 17425 days ago · 10 km deep · 33 km away
  45. 2.110 km ESE of Coalinga, California · 17425 days ago · 9 km deep · 32 km away
  46. 1.59 km SE of Coalinga, California · 17425 days ago · 8 km deep · 30 km away
  47. 1.713 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 17424 days ago · 4 km deep · 92 km away
  48. 2.89 km ESE of Coalinga, California · 17423 days ago · 10 km deep · 32 km away
  49. 2.510 km ESE of Coalinga, California · 17423 days ago · 10 km deep · 33 km away
  50. 2.18 km E of San Simeon, California · 17423 days ago · 5 km deep · 63 km away
  51. 1.518 km NW of Parkfield, California · 17422 days ago · 4 km deep · 4 km away
  52. 1.813 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 17422 days ago · 4 km deep · 93 km away
  53. 1.913 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 17421 days ago · 4 km deep · 92 km away
  54. 3.123 km NE of King City, California · 17420 days ago · 7 km deep · 43 km away
  55. 2.120 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 17419 days ago · 6 km deep · 84 km away
  56. 1.521 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 17419 days ago · 5 km deep · 84 km away
  57. 1.919 km NW of Parkfield, California · 17418 days ago · 4 km deep · 4 km away
  58. 1.823 km NNE of San Lucas, California · 17417 days ago · 5 km deep · 37 km away
  59. 1.814 km SE of Parkfield, California · 17416 days ago · 4 km deep · 37 km away
  60. 2.221 km NE of Soledad, California · 17416 days ago · 6 km deep · 76 km away

The first 60 of 88.

Before

  1. 1.721 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 17452 days ago · 2 km deep · 83 km away
  2. 1.528 km ENE of Soledad, California · 17452 days ago · 8 km deep · 68 km away
  3. 2.4Central California · 17453 days ago · 7 km deep · 90 km away
  4. 2.07 km WSW of San Luis Obispo, California · 17454 days ago · 4 km deep · 89 km away
  5. 1.923 km NE of King City, California · 17455 days ago · 6 km deep · 47 km away
  6. 3.129 km ENE of Soledad, California · 17455 days ago · 9 km deep · 68 km away
  7. 1.621 km NE of Soledad, California · 17456 days ago · 7 km deep · 75 km away
  8. 2.86 km WSW of Biola, California · 17456 days ago · 12 km deep · 94 km away
  9. 1.727 km ENE of Soledad, California · 17457 days ago · 10 km deep · 70 km away
  10. 2.622 km ENE of Soledad, California · 17459 days ago · 3 km deep · 71 km away
  11. 1.620 km NW of Parkfield, California · 17459 days ago · 3 km deep · 3 km away
  12. 1.622 km ENE of Soledad, California · 17459 days ago · 2 km deep · 70 km away
  13. 2.421 km NE of Soledad, California · 17459 days ago · 8 km deep · 74 km away
  14. 2.59 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 17459 days ago · 4 km deep · 98 km away
  15. 1.930 km WNW of Three Rocks, California · 17462 days ago · 3 km deep · 62 km away
  16. 2.123 km ENE of Soledad, California · 17462 days ago · 4 km deep · 65 km away
  17. 1.713 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 17463 days ago · 4 km deep · 92 km away
  18. 2.113 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 17463 days ago · 3 km deep · 92 km away
  19. 1.622 km ENE of Soledad, California · 17464 days ago · 4 km deep · 67 km away
  20. 3.023 km ENE of San Lucas, California · 17464 days ago · 9 km deep · 27 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1043721. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 7:50 PM UTC.