California earthquakes

M1.8 earthquake 7 km S of Sunol, California

A magnitude 1.8 earthquake struck 7 km S of Sunol, California on Sat, Oct 21, 1978, 8:13 AM PDT (15:13 UTC), 8 km (5 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M3.3 4 km ENE of East Foothills, California. This one was a foreshock.

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Map

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

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The earthquake

Magnitude
1.8 (md), micro
Local time
UTC
1978-10-21 15:13:47 UTC
Depth
8.3 km (5.2 mi), shallow
Epicenter
37.529° N, 121.882° 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, 0.5 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.12
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
52°
Stations used
35

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 56 in the 60 days after this one and 26 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 1.96 km ENE of East Foothills, California · 17509 days ago · 8 km deep · 18 km away
  2. 2.616 km S of Davenport, California · 17506 days ago · 5 km deep · 78 km away
  3. 2.517 km S of Davenport, California · 17506 days ago · 4 km deep · 78 km away
  4. 3.114 km N of Morgan Hill, California · 17504 days ago · 5 km deep · 37 km away
  5. 1.97 km SE of San Juan Bautista, California · 17503 days ago · 4 km deep · 90 km away
  6. 1.73 km WNW of San Juan Bautista, California · 17501 days ago · 4 km deep · 80 km away
  7. 1.64 km SSW of Alamo, California · 17501 days ago · 12 km deep · 35 km away
  8. 2.03 km N of East Foothills, California · 17498 days ago · 1 km deep · 14 km away
  9. 1.56 km SSE of Sunol, California · 17497 days ago · 8 km deep · 2 km away
  10. 1.711 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 17497 days ago · 7 km deep · 27 km away
  11. 1.78 km ESE of Alum Rock, California · 17495 days ago · 3 km deep · 25 km away
  12. 1.810 km S of Muir Beach, California · 17495 days ago · 9 km deep · 66 km away
  13. 1.89 km N of Boulder Creek, California · 17493 days ago · 11 km deep · 41 km away
  14. 2.09 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 17493 days ago · 8 km deep · 25 km away
  15. 1.613 km SSE of Livermore, California · 17493 days ago · 2 km deep · 18 km away
  16. 1.62 km SSE of Concord, California · 17493 days ago · 10 km deep · 49 km away
  17. 2.94 km SSW of San Juan Bautista, California · 17493 days ago · 5 km deep · 85 km away
  18. 2.93 km W of San Juan Bautista, California · 17493 days ago · 6 km deep · 81 km away
  19. 2.93 km W of San Juan Bautista, California · 17493 days ago · 7 km deep · 81 km away
  20. 2.45 km S of Gilroy, California · 17492 days ago · 7 km deep · 69 km away
  21. 2.21 km NNE of Montara, California · 17492 days ago · 7 km deep · 55 km away
  22. 2.16 km NNE of Chinatown, California · 17491 days ago · 1 km deep · 56 km away
  23. 1.75 km NNW of San Juan Bautista, California · 17491 days ago · 7 km deep · 76 km away
  24. 2.423 km SSW of Volta, California · 17488 days ago · 4 km deep · 100 km away
  25. 2.14 km SSE of San Juan Bautista, California · 17488 days ago · 4 km deep · 86 km away
  26. 2.017 km ENE of East Foothills, California · 17488 days ago · 5 km deep · 25 km away
  27. 1.616 km E of East Foothills, California · 17488 days ago · 4 km deep · 28 km away
  28. 2.08 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 17485 days ago · 8 km deep · 24 km away
  29. 1.89 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 17485 days ago · 8 km deep · 24 km away
  30. 2.04 km NE of Ridgemark, California · 17485 days ago · 8 km deep · 90 km away
  31. 1.916 km ENE of East Foothills, California · 17484 days ago · 6 km deep · 25 km away
  32. 2.113 km SW of Santa Cruz, California · 17481 days ago · 6 km deep · 74 km away
  33. 1.710 km WSW of Santa Cruz, California · 17481 days ago · 12 km deep · 70 km away
  34. 1.810 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 17479 days ago · 8 km deep · 26 km away
  35. 1.510 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 17479 days ago · 8 km deep · 26 km away
  36. 1.74 km E of Livermore, California · 17477 days ago · 9 km deep · 22 km away
  37. 1.98 km ESE of Gilroy, California · 17475 days ago · 5 km deep · 70 km away
  38. 1.99 km ESE of Gilroy, California · 17475 days ago · 5 km deep · 70 km away
  39. 2.114 km SE of Livermore, California · 17473 days ago · 1 km deep · 19 km away
  40. 2.42 km SW of San Juan Bautista, California · 17470 days ago · 6 km deep · 83 km away
  41. 1.711 km SE of Sunol, California · 17469 days ago · 3 km deep · 9 km away
  42. 2.48 km SE of Sunol, California · 17466 days ago · 10 km deep · 6 km away
  43. 1.67 km ENE of Gilroy, California · 17463 days ago · 5 km deep · 67 km away
  44. 2.89 km ENE of Patterson, California · 17462 days ago · 14 km deep · 76 km away
  45. 2.419 km WSW of Diablo Grande, California · 17462 days ago · 7 km deep · 43 km away
  46. 1.77 km ENE of Interlaken, California · 17461 days ago · 2 km deep · 65 km away
  47. 1.87 km NNW of Hollister, California · 17461 days ago · 2 km deep · 79 km away
  48. 1.69 km NNW of Hollister, California · 17461 days ago · 7 km deep · 77 km away
  49. 2.39 km NNW of Hollister, California · 17460 days ago · 6 km deep · 77 km away
  50. 1.53 km NNW of Hollister, California · 17459 days ago · 6 km deep · 83 km away
  51. 2.110 km SE of Sonoma, California · 17459 days ago · 7 km deep · 88 km away
  52. 2.13 km E of Berkeley, California · 17456 days ago · 11 km deep · 50 km away
  53. 1.93 km E of Moraga, California · 17455 days ago · 2 km deep · 39 km away
  54. 1.711 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 17453 days ago · 7 km deep · 27 km away
  55. 3.34 km ENE of East Foothills, California · 17452 days ago · 2 km deep · 17 km away
  56. 2.14 km N of East Foothills, California · 17450 days ago · 2 km deep · 14 km away

Before

  1. 2.00 km WSW of Lexington Hills, California · 17510 days ago · 10 km deep · 41 km away
  2. 1.75 km NE of East Foothills, California · 17510 days ago · 6 km deep · 16 km away
  3. 2.42 km NE of Pacheco, California · 17513 days ago · 15 km deep · 54 km away
  4. 2.93 km E of Morgan Hill, California · 17516 days ago · 2 km deep · 50 km away
  5. 1.68 km NNW of Hollister, California · 17516 days ago · 5 km deep · 78 km away
  6. 3.29 km NNW of Hollister, California · 17516 days ago · 8 km deep · 77 km away
  7. 1.912 km E of Seven Trees, California · 17519 days ago · 1 km deep · 32 km away
  8. 1.67 km NE of East Foothills, California · 17520 days ago · 11 km deep · 14 km away
  9. 1.77 km WSW of Gilroy, California · 17520 days ago · 4 km deep · 63 km away
  10. 1.86 km N of Benicia, California · 17525 days ago · 1 km deep · 69 km away
  11. 2.03 km NW of Bayview, California · 17528 days ago · 7 km deep · 69 km away
  12. 1.76 km WSW of Gilroy, California · 17529 days ago · 7 km deep · 63 km away
  13. 2.88 km E of Gilroy, California · 17529 days ago · 4 km deep · 69 km away
  14. 2.48 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 17530 days ago · 1 km deep · 23 km away
  15. 1.56 km WSW of Gilroy, California · 17530 days ago · 4 km deep · 64 km away
  16. 2.016 km E of Seven Trees, California · 17531 days ago · 7 km deep · 33 km away
  17. 1.64 km NE of Day Valley, California · 17531 days ago · 12 km deep · 52 km away
  18. 1.54 km N of Aromas, California · 17533 days ago · 4 km deep · 70 km away
  19. 2.93 km ENE of East Foothills, California · 17534 days ago · 1 km deep · 17 km away
  20. 1.59 km NNW of Hollister, California · 17535 days ago · 5 km deep · 77 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1042948. Read Tue, Sep 29, 2026, 3:32 AM UTC.