California earthquakes

M1.6 earthquake 11 km SE of Sunol, California

A magnitude 1.6 earthquake struck 11 km SE of Sunol, California on Sun, Dec 24, 1978, 1:50 PM PST (21:50 UTC), 3 km (2 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M3.6 5 km E of East Foothills, California. This one was a foreshock.

Sunol 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
1978-12-24 21:50:40 UTC
Depth
3.1 km (1.9 mi), shallow
Epicenter
37.528° N, 121.786° 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, 0.7 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.05
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
71°
Stations used
17

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 117 in the 60 days after this one and 28 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 1.68 km N of Interlaken, California · 17445 days ago · 11 km deep · 56 km away
  2. 2.08 km N of Interlaken, California · 17445 days ago · 11 km deep · 56 km away
  3. 2.714 km S of Tracy, California · 17445 days ago · 2 km deep · 35 km away
  4. 1.626 km ENE of East Foothills, California · 17445 days ago · 5 km deep · 21 km away
  5. 2.36 km E of East Foothills, California · 17444 days ago · 6 km deep · 16 km away
  6. 2.82 km SSW of Hollister, California · 17443 days ago · 9 km deep · 84 km away
  7. 2.114 km E of Seven Trees, California · 17442 days ago · 3 km deep · 28 km away
  8. 1.95 km ESE of Black Point-Green Point, California · 17442 days ago · 5 km deep · 87 km away
  9. 1.85 km NNE of Morgan Hill, California · 17440 days ago · 7 km deep · 41 km away
  10. 2.48 km N of East Foothills, California · 17439 days ago · 6 km deep · 9 km away
  11. 1.56 km E of East Foothills, California · 17438 days ago · 7 km deep · 16 km away
  12. 3.46km WNW of Castroville, CA · 17437 days ago · 6 km deep · 82 km away
  13. 1.919 km WSW of Diablo Grande, California · 17437 days ago · 8 km deep · 36 km away
  14. 1.72 km W of Cambrian Park, California · 17436 days ago · 8 km deep · 34 km away
  15. 2.116 km NE of East Foothills, California · 17434 days ago · 6 km deep · 13 km away
  16. 2.48 km NE of Gilroy, California · 17434 days ago · 7 km deep · 59 km away
  17. 1.84 km WSW of North Richmond, California · 17434 days ago · 8 km deep · 72 km away
  18. 2.48 km NE of Interlaken, California · 17432 days ago · 4 km deep · 60 km away
  19. 2.11 km N of Tres Pinos, California · 17431 days ago · 9 km deep · 90 km away
  20. 1.95 km E of La Honda, California · 17431 days ago · 8 km deep · 44 km away
  21. 1.614 km E of Seven Trees, California · 17430 days ago · 6 km deep · 27 km away
  22. 2.210 km ESE of Gilroy, California · 17430 days ago · 5 km deep · 68 km away
  23. 2.29 km ESE of Gilroy, California · 17430 days ago · 5 km deep · 68 km away
  24. 2.45 km E of Black Point-Green Point, California · 17430 days ago · 12 km deep · 88 km away
  25. 1.62 km SW of Ridgemark, California · 17429 days ago · 7 km deep · 89 km away
  26. 2.38 km NE of Interlaken, California · 17429 days ago · 5 km deep · 60 km away
  27. 1.88 km NE of Interlaken, California · 17429 days ago · 4 km deep · 60 km away
  28. 2.58 km NNE of Interlaken, California · 17428 days ago · 10 km deep · 56 km away
  29. 2.18 km N of Interlaken, California · 17428 days ago · 10 km deep · 56 km away
  30. 3.18 km N of Interlaken, California · 17428 days ago · 10 km deep · 56 km away
  31. 2.38 km N of Interlaken, California · 17428 days ago · 9 km deep · 56 km away
  32. 3.65 km E of East Foothills, California · 17428 days ago · 0 km deep · 17 km away
  33. 2.95 km E of East Foothills, California · 17428 days ago · 0 km deep · 17 km away
  34. 2.115 km SW of Santa Cruz, California · 17428 days ago · 8 km deep · 80 km away
  35. 1.95 km E of East Foothills, California · 17428 days ago · 0 km deep · 17 km away
  36. 1.78 km NW of Hollister, California · 17428 days ago · 6 km deep · 74 km away
  37. 2.38 km ENE of San Martin, California · 17426 days ago · 8 km deep · 51 km away
  38. 2.11 km WNW of Diablo, California · 17426 days ago · 9 km deep · 39 km away
  39. 1.96 km E of East Foothills, California · 17425 days ago · 1 km deep · 18 km away
  40. 1.82 km W of Cambrian Park, California · 17425 days ago · 7 km deep · 34 km away
  41. 1.82 km WNW of Cambrian Park, California · 17425 days ago · 7 km deep · 33 km away
  42. 1.95 km E of East Foothills, California · 17424 days ago · 0 km deep · 17 km away
  43. 1.76 km E of Sunol, California · 17423 days ago · 9 km deep · 7 km away
  44. 1.95 km E of East Foothills, California · 17422 days ago · 0 km deep · 18 km away
  45. 2.816 km SW of Gustine, California · 17422 days ago · 0 km deep · 69 km away
  46. 2.316 km SW of Gustine, California · 17422 days ago · 6 km deep · 71 km away
  47. 1.74 km NNW of Sand City, California · 17422 days ago · 11 km deep · 97 km away
  48. 1.614 km E of Seven Trees, California · 17422 days ago · 0 km deep · 30 km away
  49. 2.24 km SE of Alum Rock, California · 17421 days ago · 3 km deep · 21 km away
  50. 1.84 km SE of Alum Rock, California · 17421 days ago · 2 km deep · 20 km away
  51. 1.75 km ESE of Alum Rock, California · 17421 days ago · 3 km deep · 21 km away
  52. 2.34 km ESE of Alum Rock, California · 17421 days ago · 2 km deep · 20 km away
  53. 2.04 km ESE of Alum Rock, California · 17421 days ago · 2 km deep · 20 km away
  54. 2.35 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 17421 days ago · 0 km deep · 18 km away
  55. 2.24 km SE of Alum Rock, California · 17421 days ago · 2 km deep · 21 km away
  56. 1.84 km E of East Foothills, California · 17421 days ago · 0 km deep · 17 km away
  57. 1.810 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 17420 days ago · 7 km deep · 22 km away
  58. 3.110 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 17420 days ago · 8 km deep · 22 km away
  59. 2.110 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 17420 days ago · 7 km deep · 21 km away
  60. 1.65 km SE of Alum Rock, California · 17420 days ago · 3 km deep · 21 km away

The first 60 of 117.

Before

  1. 1.71 km NE of Tres Pinos, California · 17446 days ago · 8 km deep · 91 km away
  2. 1.66 km NE of Interlaken, California · 17446 days ago · 11 km deep · 61 km away
  3. 1.816 km E of Tres Pinos, California · 17448 days ago · 5 km deep · 98 km away
  4. 1.66 km NW of Morgan Hill, California · 17449 days ago · 6 km deep · 40 km away
  5. 2.14 km N of East Foothills, California · 17451 days ago · 2 km deep · 13 km away
  6. 3.34 km ENE of East Foothills, California · 17453 days ago · 2 km deep · 15 km away
  7. 1.711 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 17454 days ago · 7 km deep · 23 km away
  8. 1.93 km E of Moraga, California · 17456 days ago · 2 km deep · 43 km away
  9. 2.13 km E of Berkeley, California · 17456 days ago · 11 km deep · 55 km away
  10. 2.110 km SE of Sonoma, California · 17459 days ago · 7 km deep · 93 km away
  11. 1.53 km NNW of Hollister, California · 17460 days ago · 6 km deep · 79 km away
  12. 2.39 km NNW of Hollister, California · 17461 days ago · 6 km deep · 73 km away
  13. 1.69 km NNW of Hollister, California · 17461 days ago · 7 km deep · 73 km away
  14. 1.87 km NNW of Hollister, California · 17462 days ago · 2 km deep · 75 km away
  15. 1.77 km ENE of Interlaken, California · 17462 days ago · 2 km deep · 63 km away
  16. 2.419 km WSW of Diablo Grande, California · 17463 days ago · 7 km deep · 37 km away
  17. 2.89 km ENE of Patterson, California · 17463 days ago · 14 km deep · 67 km away
  18. 1.75 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 17463 days ago · 8 km deep · 97 km away
  19. 1.67 km ENE of Gilroy, California · 17464 days ago · 5 km deep · 63 km away
  20. 2.48 km SE of Sunol, California · 17466 days ago · 10 km deep · 3 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1043872. Read Tue, Sep 29, 2026, 11:03 PM UTC.