California earthquakes

M2.6 earthquake 21 km NE of Soledad, California

A magnitude 2.6 earthquake struck 21 km NE of Soledad, California on Fri, Dec 15, 1978, 9:08 PM PST (05:08 UTC), 4 km (3 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M3.3 22 km NE of San Ardo, California. This one was a foreshock.

Soledad 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
2.6 (md), micro
Local time
UTC
1978-12-16 05:08:19 UTC
Depth
4.1 km (2.5 mi), shallow
Epicenter
36.581° N, 121.176° 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 0.1 km horizontally, 0.4 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.11
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
40°
Stations used
42

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 135 in the 60 days after this one and 52 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 1.616 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 17447 days ago · 8 km deep · 11 km away
  2. 1.721 km NE of Soledad, California · 17447 days ago · 7 km deep · 3 km away
  3. 1.921 km NE of Soledad, California · 17447 days ago · 5 km deep · 6 km away
  4. 1.521 km NE of Soledad, California · 17447 days ago · 6 km deep · 6 km away
  5. 1.711 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 17446 days ago · 7 km deep · 96 km away
  6. 2.010 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 17446 days ago · 5 km deep · 19 km away
  7. 2.221 km NE of Soledad, California · 17446 days ago · 4 km deep · 0 km away
  8. 3.322 km NE of San Ardo, California · 17445 days ago · 8 km deep · 63 km away
  9. 1.918 km NW of San Simeon, California · 17444 days ago · 11 km deep · 93 km away
  10. 1.66 km NW of Morgan Hill, California · 17441 days ago · 6 km deep · 80 km away
  11. 1.816 km E of Tres Pinos, California · 17441 days ago · 5 km deep · 26 km away
  12. 1.724 km ENE of Soledad, California · 17441 days ago · 4 km deep · 13 km away
  13. 2.021 km NE of Soledad, California · 17440 days ago · 4 km deep · 2 km away
  14. 2.422 km NNE of Soledad, California · 17439 days ago · 9 km deep · 5 km away
  15. 1.66 km NE of Interlaken, California · 17439 days ago · 11 km deep · 63 km away
  16. 1.71 km NE of Tres Pinos, California · 17439 days ago · 8 km deep · 27 km away
  17. 1.816 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 17438 days ago · 5 km deep · 10 km away
  18. 1.615 km NW of Parkfield, California · 17438 days ago · 5 km deep · 85 km away
  19. 1.721 km NE of Soledad, California · 17438 days ago · 8 km deep · 5 km away
  20. 1.68 km N of Interlaken, California · 17438 days ago · 11 km deep · 69 km away
  21. 2.08 km N of Interlaken, California · 17438 days ago · 11 km deep · 69 km away
  22. 3.025 km ENE of San Ardo, California · 17436 days ago · 4 km deep · 74 km away
  23. 2.82 km SSW of Hollister, California · 17435 days ago · 9 km deep · 35 km away
  24. 1.621 km NE of San Ardo, California · 17435 days ago · 3 km deep · 57 km away
  25. 2.114 km E of Seven Trees, California · 17435 days ago · 3 km deep · 90 km away
  26. 2.123 km NE of San Ardo, California · 17433 days ago · 7 km deep · 57 km away
  27. 1.85 km NNE of Morgan Hill, California · 17432 days ago · 7 km deep · 79 km away
  28. 1.823 km NW of Parkfield, California · 17431 days ago · 1 km deep · 78 km away
  29. 3.310 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 17429 days ago · 5 km deep · 17 km away
  30. 3.46km WNW of Castroville, CA · 17429 days ago · 6 km deep · 62 km away
  31. 2.59 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 17429 days ago · 5 km deep · 17 km away
  32. 1.919 km WSW of Diablo Grande, California · 17429 days ago · 8 km deep · 86 km away
  33. 2.024 km ENE of Soledad, California · 17429 days ago · 3 km deep · 13 km away
  34. 2.021 km NE of Soledad, California · 17429 days ago · 2 km deep · 0 km away
  35. 2.227 km NW of San Simeon, California · 17429 days ago · 11 km deep · 88 km away
  36. 1.534 km ENE of Soledad, California · 17429 days ago · 6 km deep · 15 km away
  37. 1.83 km S of San Ardo, California · 17428 days ago · 9 km deep · 70 km away
  38. 2.815 km NW of Parkfield, California · 17428 days ago · 5 km deep · 85 km away
  39. 1.921 km NE of Soledad, California · 17428 days ago · 4 km deep · 0 km away
  40. 2.122 km NE of Soledad, California · 17427 days ago · 2 km deep · 6 km away
  41. 2.48 km NE of Gilroy, California · 17427 days ago · 7 km deep · 59 km away
  42. 3.810 km ESE of Coalinga, California · 17425 days ago · 10 km deep · 98 km away
  43. 2.310 km ESE of Coalinga, California · 17425 days ago · 9 km deep · 99 km away
  44. 2.311 km ESE of Coalinga, California · 17425 days ago · 9 km deep · 100 km away
  45. 2.210 km ESE of Coalinga, California · 17425 days ago · 10 km deep · 98 km away
  46. 2.48 km NE of Interlaken, California · 17425 days ago · 4 km deep · 64 km away
  47. 2.810 km ESE of Coalinga, California · 17425 days ago · 10 km deep · 98 km away
  48. 2.110 km ESE of Coalinga, California · 17425 days ago · 9 km deep · 99 km away
  49. 1.59 km SE of Coalinga, California · 17425 days ago · 8 km deep · 98 km away
  50. 2.11 km N of Tres Pinos, California · 17424 days ago · 9 km deep · 28 km away
  51. 1.713 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 17423 days ago · 4 km deep · 15 km away
  52. 2.89 km ESE of Coalinga, California · 17423 days ago · 10 km deep · 98 km away
  53. 2.510 km ESE of Coalinga, California · 17423 days ago · 10 km deep · 98 km away
  54. 1.614 km E of Seven Trees, California · 17423 days ago · 6 km deep · 92 km away
  55. 2.210 km ESE of Gilroy, California · 17423 days ago · 5 km deep · 51 km away
  56. 2.29 km ESE of Gilroy, California · 17423 days ago · 5 km deep · 51 km away
  57. 1.518 km NW of Parkfield, California · 17422 days ago · 4 km deep · 82 km away
  58. 1.62 km SW of Ridgemark, California · 17422 days ago · 7 km deep · 30 km away
  59. 2.38 km NE of Interlaken, California · 17422 days ago · 5 km deep · 63 km away
  60. 1.88 km NE of Interlaken, California · 17422 days ago · 4 km deep · 63 km away

The first 60 of 135.

Before

  1. 2.322 km NE of San Ardo, California · 17449 days ago · 5 km deep · 57 km away
  2. 3.123 km NE of San Ardo, California · 17449 days ago · 7 km deep · 57 km away
  3. 2.024 km NE of Greenfield, California · 17450 days ago · 7 km deep · 16 km away
  4. 2.122 km NE of Soledad, California · 17451 days ago · 4 km deep · 1 km away
  5. 1.623 km NW of Parkfield, California · 17451 days ago · 2 km deep · 78 km away
  6. 1.721 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 17451 days ago · 2 km deep · 5 km away
  7. 1.528 km ENE of Soledad, California · 17452 days ago · 8 km deep · 12 km away
  8. 1.53 km NNW of Hollister, California · 17453 days ago · 6 km deep · 40 km away
  9. 2.4Central California · 17453 days ago · 7 km deep · 12 km away
  10. 2.39 km NNW of Hollister, California · 17454 days ago · 6 km deep · 46 km away
  11. 1.69 km NNW of Hollister, California · 17454 days ago · 7 km deep · 46 km away
  12. 1.87 km NNW of Hollister, California · 17454 days ago · 2 km deep · 44 km away
  13. 1.923 km NE of King City, California · 17455 days ago · 6 km deep · 31 km away
  14. 1.77 km ENE of Interlaken, California · 17455 days ago · 2 km deep · 61 km away
  15. 3.129 km ENE of Soledad, California · 17455 days ago · 9 km deep · 12 km away
  16. 1.621 km NE of Soledad, California · 17455 days ago · 7 km deep · 3 km away
  17. 2.86 km WSW of Biola, California · 17455 days ago · 12 km deep · 100 km away
  18. 2.419 km WSW of Diablo Grande, California · 17455 days ago · 7 km deep · 86 km away
  19. 1.75 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 17456 days ago · 8 km deep · 22 km away
  20. 1.727 km ENE of Soledad, California · 17456 days ago · 10 km deep · 10 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1043759. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 4:04 PM UTC.