M1.6 earthquake 21km N of Tehachapi, CA

Magnitude

1.6 (mh), micro

Local time

Mon, Mar 20, 1978, 12:30 AM PST

UTC

1978-03-20 08:30:42 UTC

Depth

6.4 km (4.0 mi), shallow

Epicenter

35.315° N, 118.483° W

Region

California

Tsunami flag

No

Status

Reviewed by a seismologist

Location uncertainty

About 2.4 km horizontally, 14.1 km in depth

Magnitude uncertainty

±0.30

Depth from

From location

Station coverage gap

187°, poorly surrounded by stations

Stations used

3

• Golden Hills, CaliforniaPopulation 8,656. Forecast19 kmN
• Tehachapi, CaliforniaPopulation 13,021. Forecast21 kmN
• Bakersfield, CaliforniaPopulation 373,640. Forecast49 kmE
• Los Angeles, CaliforniaPopulation 3,820,914. Forecast142 kmN

After

1. 2.418km NNW of Grapevine, CAMon, Mar 20, 6:02 AM PST · 17718 days ago · 6 km deep · 56 km away
2. 1.716km N of Pine Mountain Club, CAMon, Mar 20, 8:12 AM PST · 17718 days ago · 14 km deep · 72 km away
3. 2.73km SW of Lamont, CAWed, Mar 22, 10:29 PM PST · 17716 days ago · 7 km deep · 42 km away
4. 2.719km ESE of Ridgecrest, CAFri, Mar 24, 2:05 AM PST · 17715 days ago · 0 km deep · 93 km away
5. 1.54km N of Santa Clarita, CAFri, Mar 24, 2:58 AM PST · 17715 days ago · 19 km deep · 96 km away
6. 2.423km NNE of Kernville, CAFri, Mar 24, 2:47 PM PST · 17714 days ago · 5 km deep · 72 km away
7. 1.915km N of Kernville, CASat, Mar 25, 8:55 AM PST · 17713 days ago · 5 km deep · 64 km away
8. 1.919km SE of Bodfish, CASun, Mar 26, 7:32 AM PST · 17712 days ago · 5 km deep · 20 km away
9. 1.511km WSW of Grapevine, CAMon, Mar 27, 2:35 PM PST · 17711 days ago · 16 km deep · 68 km away
10. 2.617km SE of Arvin, CAWed, Mar 29, 5:21 PM PST · 17709 days ago · 6 km deep · 28 km away
11. 2.36km NW of Boron, CAThu, Mar 30, 12:00 PM PST · 17708 days ago · 9 km deep · 78 km away
12. 2.320km SSE of Bodfish, CAThu, Mar 30, 10:25 PM PST · 17708 days ago · 6 km deep · 13 km away
13. 1.812km E of Coso Junction, CAFri, Mar 31, 3:07 AM PST · 17708 days ago · 6 km deep · 100 km away
14. 1.81km NE of Frazier Park, CAFri, Mar 31, 3:23 PM PST · 17707 days ago · 12 km deep · 68 km away
15. 1.816km SSW of Neenach, CATue, Apr 4, 10:08 AM PST · 17703 days ago · 12 km deep · 77 km away
16. 3.125km SSW of Bodfish, CASun, Apr 9, 8:00 AM PST · 17698 days ago · 1 km deep · 17 km away
17. 1.915km N of Castaic, CATue, Apr 11, 1:52 PM PST · 17696 days ago · 14 km deep · 78 km away
18. 1.716km N of Castaic, CATue, Apr 11, 5:33 PM PST · 17696 days ago · 14 km deep · 77 km away
19. 1.722km NW of Tehachapi, CATue, Apr 11, 7:08 PM PST · 17696 days ago · 2 km deep · 10 km away
20. 1.816km SSW of Neenach, CAWed, Apr 12, 5:54 AM PST · 17695 days ago · 12 km deep · 77 km away
21. 2.618km NNW of Tehachapi, CAThu, Apr 13, 4:55 AM PST · 17694 days ago · 5 km deep · 8 km away
22. 1.617km ESE of Ridgecrest, CASun, Apr 16, 7:17 AM PST · 17691 days ago · 6 km deep · 91 km away
23. 1.725km N of Tehachapi, CASun, Apr 16, 2:17 PM PST · 17691 days ago · 0 km deep · 6 km away
24. 3.024km W of Coso Junction, CASun, Apr 16, 7:43 PM PST · 17691 days ago · 3 km deep · 81 km away
25. 1.818km NNW of Fillmore, CAMon, Apr 17, 4:50 PM PST · 17690 days ago · 21 km deep · 96 km away
26. 1.718km NNW of California City, CAThu, Apr 20, 1:27 PM PST · 17687 days ago · 6 km deep · 42 km away
27. 1.66km NNE of Grapevine, CAFri, Apr 21, 5:17 PM PST · 17686 days ago · 18 km deep · 53 km away
28. 1.716km S of Arvin, CASun, Apr 23, 3:29 AM PST · 17685 days ago · 0 km deep · 43 km away
29. 2.17km W of Wofford Heights, CAMon, Apr 24, 1:51 PM PST · 17683 days ago · 11 km deep · 44 km away
30. 2.023km ENE of Arvin, CATue, Apr 25, 4:15 AM PST · 17682 days ago · 4 km deep · 11 km away
31. 2.38km NE of Santa Clarita, CAThu, Apr 27, 12:54 PM PST · 17680 days ago · 13 km deep · 95 km away
32. 2.29km WSW of Bodfish, CAFri, Apr 28, 10:48 AM PST · 17679 days ago · 6 km deep · 27 km away
33. 1.67km ENE of Santa Clarita, CASat, Apr 29, 8:10 AM PST · 17678 days ago · 14 km deep · 97 km away
34. 1.76km SSE of Bakersfield, CASat, Apr 29, 4:05 PM PST · 17678 days ago · 6 km deep · 48 km away
35. 2.711km W of Delano, CAMon, May 1, 4:53 AM PDT · 17677 days ago · 6 km deep · 95 km away
36. 2.513km E of Little Lake, CAFri, May 5, 11:17 PM PDT · 17672 days ago · 6 km deep · 97 km away
37. 1.918km NNW of Tehachapi, CASat, May 6, 6:10 PM PDT · 17671 days ago · 4 km deep · 6 km away
38. 2.06km ESE of Wofford Heights, CASun, May 7, 6:31 PM PDT · 17670 days ago · 7 km deep · 43 km away
39. 2.17km ESE of Wofford Heights, CASun, May 7, 6:34 PM PDT · 17670 days ago · 6 km deep · 42 km away
40. 1.710km ESE of Wofford Heights, CASun, May 7, 10:33 PM PDT · 17670 days ago · 6 km deep · 40 km away
41. 1.616km NNW of Grapevine, CAMon, May 8, 2:07 AM PDT · 17670 days ago · 6 km deep · 55 km away
42. 2.026km E of Kernville, CAMon, May 8, 11:37 AM PDT · 17669 days ago · 6 km deep · 57 km away
43. 2.314km NE of Kernville, CASun, May 14, 6:19 AM PDT · 17663 days ago · 4 km deep · 61 km away
44. 2.56km NNW of Little Lake, CASun, May 14, 1:12 PM PDT · 17663 days ago · 6 km deep · 90 km away
45. 2.118km NW of Tehachapi, CATue, May 16, 9:33 AM PDT · 17661 days ago · 5 km deep · 11 km away
46. 2.27km SW of Coso Junction, CAThu, May 18, 3:16 PM PDT · 17659 days ago · 6 km deep · 88 km away
47. 2.023km ENE of Arvin, CAFri, May 19, 12:49 AM PDT · 17659 days ago · 6 km deep · 11 km away

Before

1. 2.16km W of Little Lake, CASun, Mar 19, 7:34 PM PST · 17719 days ago · 6 km deep · 84 km away
2. 2.112km SE of Little Lake, CASat, Mar 18, 10:14 PM PST · 17720 days ago · 1 km deep · 84 km away
3. 2.93km SE of Frazier Park, CASat, Mar 18, 6:29 PM PST · 17720 days ago · 4 km deep · 70 km away
4. 1.824km NNW of Tehachapi, CASat, Mar 18, 1:45 AM PST · 17721 days ago · 3 km deep · 4 km away
5. 1.724km NNW of Tehachapi, CASat, Mar 18, 1:24 AM PST · 17721 days ago · 6 km deep · 5 km away
6. 3.522km NNW of Tehachapi, CASat, Mar 18, 12:20 AM PST · 17721 days ago · 0 km deep · 2 km away
7. 2.521km N of Tehachapi, CASat, Mar 18, 12:20 AM PST · 17721 days ago · 1 km deep · 1 km away
8. 1.99km SSE of Shafter, CAWed, Mar 15, 1:32 PM PST · 17723 days ago · 6 km deep · 70 km away
9. 2.612km WSW of Grapevine, CAMon, Mar 13, 10:32 PM PST · 17725 days ago · 13 km deep · 68 km away
10. 1.613km N of Pine Mountain Club, CAMon, Mar 13, 11:54 AM PST · 17725 days ago · 4 km deep · 71 km away
11. 1.64km SW of Palmdale, CASun, Mar 12, 10:04 AM PST · 17726 days ago · 13 km deep · 90 km away
12. 1.812km ESE of Little Lake, CASat, Mar 11, 12:35 AM PST · 17728 days ago · 3 km deep · 92 km away
13. 2.56km ENE of Shafter, CAFri, Mar 10, 11:47 AM PST · 17728 days ago · 6 km deep · 69 km away
14. 2.67km NNE of Santa Clarita, CAFri, Mar 10, 12:33 AM PST · 17729 days ago · 13 km deep · 94 km away
15. 2.16km SSE of Shafter, CAThu, Mar 9, 1:25 PM PST · 17729 days ago · 6 km deep · 71 km away
16. 1.812km SW of Coso Junction, CAWed, Mar 8, 10:15 PM PST · 17730 days ago · 4 km deep · 83 km away
17. 1.916km WSW of Coso Junction, CAWed, Mar 8, 11:58 AM PST · 17730 days ago · 3 km deep · 82 km away
18. 2.010km SSE of Tehachapi, CATue, Mar 7, 9:31 PM PST · 17731 days ago · 3 km deep · 31 km away
19. 1.917km NE of Lamont, CATue, Mar 7, 9:46 AM PST · 17731 days ago · 6 km deep · 28 km away
20. 2.014km N of Grapevine, CAMon, Mar 6, 5:22 AM PST · 17732 days ago · 11 km deep · 49 km away

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event ci3338219. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 11:27 PM UTC.