California earthquakes

M1.7 earthquake 31 km W of Three Rocks, California

A magnitude 1.7 earthquake struck 31 km W of Three Rocks, California on Fri, May 5, 1978, 4:56 PM PDT (23:56 UTC), 8 km (5 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M3.6 Central 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
1.7 (md), micro
Local time
UTC
1978-05-05 23:56:33 UTC
Depth
7.8 km (4.8 mi), shallow
Epicenter
36.510° N, 120.739° 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 0.7 km horizontally, 1.2 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.05
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
217°, poorly surrounded by stations
Stations used
12

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 129 in the 60 days after this one and 42 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 3.36 km N of Biola, California · 17677 days ago · 10 km deep · 74 km away
  2. 2.127 km NE of San Ardo, California · 17677 days ago · 6 km deep · 32 km away
  3. 1.627 km NE of San Ardo, California · 17676 days ago · 6 km deep · 32 km away
  4. 1.725 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 17676 days ago · 5 km deep · 25 km away
  5. 1.54 km NNW of Aromas, California · 17676 days ago · 10 km deep · 95 km away
  6. 2.125 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 17676 days ago · 1 km deep · 24 km away
  7. 1.925 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 17676 days ago · 1 km deep · 24 km away
  8. 1.711 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 17676 days ago · 4 km deep · 55 km away
  9. 1.822 km ENE of San Ardo, California · 17676 days ago · 2 km deep · 45 km away
  10. 2.223 km NE of San Ardo, California · 17675 days ago · 8 km deep · 36 km away
  11. 2.425 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 17675 days ago · 1 km deep · 24 km away
  12. 2.325 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 17672 days ago · 1 km deep · 24 km away
  13. 2.36 km NE of Ridgemark, California · 17671 days ago · 10 km deep · 65 km away
  14. 2.08 km NW of Hollister, California · 17667 days ago · 4 km deep · 79 km away
  15. 1.917 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 17667 days ago · 4 km deep · 49 km away
  16. 2.113 km NW of Avenal, California · 17666 days ago · 7 km deep · 65 km away
  17. 1.922 km NNE of Soledad, California · 17666 days ago · 8 km deep · 44 km away
  18. 1.621 km NE of Soledad, California · 17665 days ago · 7 km deep · 37 km away
  19. 2.13 km SSW of Ridgemark, California · 17664 days ago · 9 km deep · 64 km away
  20. 1.820 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 17664 days ago · 5 km deep · 45 km away
  21. 1.68 km NE of Tres Pinos, California · 17664 days ago · 8 km deep · 60 km away
  22. 1.77 km NE of Tres Pinos, California · 17664 days ago · 8 km deep · 60 km away
  23. 2.79 km SW of Coalinga, California · 17663 days ago · 9 km deep · 54 km away
  24. 2.617 km NW of Parkfield, California · 17663 days ago · 5 km deep · 57 km away
  25. 2.017 km NW of Parkfield, California · 17663 days ago · 5 km deep · 57 km away
  26. 3.514 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 17662 days ago · 3 km deep · 51 km away
  27. 3.114 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 17662 days ago · 3 km deep · 51 km away
  28. 1.614 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 17662 days ago · 3 km deep · 51 km away
  29. 1.914 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 17662 days ago · 3 km deep · 52 km away
  30. 1.614 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 17662 days ago · 3 km deep · 51 km away
  31. 1.714 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 17662 days ago · 3 km deep · 52 km away
  32. 1.914 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 17662 days ago · 3 km deep · 52 km away
  33. 2.314 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 17662 days ago · 3 km deep · 51 km away
  34. 1.813 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 17661 days ago · 3 km deep · 52 km away
  35. 2.214 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 17661 days ago · 4 km deep · 51 km away
  36. 1.58 km E of Gilroy, California · 17661 days ago · 4 km deep · 86 km away
  37. 2.013 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 17661 days ago · 4 km deep · 52 km away
  38. 1.614 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 17660 days ago · 3 km deep · 51 km away
  39. 2.09 km NE of San Juan Bautista, California · 17660 days ago · 4 km deep · 80 km away
  40. 1.814 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 17660 days ago · 3 km deep · 51 km away
  41. 1.51 km WNW of Hollister, California · 17659 days ago · 4 km deep · 72 km away
  42. 1.713 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 17659 days ago · 4 km deep · 52 km away
  43. 1.614 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 17659 days ago · 3 km deep · 52 km away
  44. 1.826 km NE of Greenfield, California · 17659 days ago · 6 km deep · 27 km away
  45. 2.422 km ENE of Soledad, California · 17658 days ago · 2 km deep · 34 km away
  46. 1.814 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 17658 days ago · 3 km deep · 51 km away
  47. 1.713 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 17658 days ago · 3 km deep · 52 km away
  48. 2.435 km W of Three Rocks, California · 17657 days ago · 3 km deep · 6 km away
  49. 1.514 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 17657 days ago · 3 km deep · 51 km away
  50. 2.8Central California · 17657 days ago · 3 km deep · 52 km away
  51. 2.113 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 17657 days ago · 4 km deep · 52 km away
  52. 1.713 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 17657 days ago · 4 km deep · 52 km away
  53. 2.015 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 17656 days ago · 4 km deep · 50 km away
  54. 1.815 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 17656 days ago · 4 km deep · 50 km away
  55. 1.916 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 17656 days ago · 5 km deep · 50 km away
  56. 2.6Central California · 17656 days ago · 9 km deep · 31 km away
  57. 3.6Central California · 17655 days ago · 9 km deep · 49 km away
  58. 2.221 km NNE of Soledad, California · 17654 days ago · 8 km deep · 42 km away
  59. 2.415 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 17653 days ago · 3 km deep · 50 km away
  60. 1.86 km N of Greenfield, California · 17653 days ago · 3 km deep · 47 km away

The first 60 of 129.

Before

  1. 2.619 km SSW of Volta, California · 17680 days ago · 4 km deep · 53 km away
  2. 2.218 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 17680 days ago · 10 km deep · 48 km away
  3. 1.724 km ENE of San Lucas, California · 17680 days ago · 5 km deep · 31 km away
  4. 1.523 km ENE of Soledad, California · 17681 days ago · 3 km deep · 31 km away
  5. 1.81 km NNE of Tres Pinos, California · 17681 days ago · 8 km deep · 61 km away
  6. 2.613 km ESE of Tres Pinos, California · 17681 days ago · 10 km deep · 47 km away
  7. 1.99 km W of Coalinga, California · 17682 days ago · 11 km deep · 50 km away
  8. 1.516 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 17682 days ago · 4 km deep · 50 km away
  9. 1.74 km SSE of Parkfield, California · 17683 days ago · 4 km deep · 78 km away
  10. 2.323 km NE of King City, California · 17684 days ago · 7 km deep · 25 km away
  11. 1.624 km NE of Greenfield, California · 17685 days ago · 5 km deep · 27 km away
  12. 1.624 km NE of Greenfield, California · 17686 days ago · 5 km deep · 28 km away
  13. 1.716 km NW of Parkfield, California · 17686 days ago · 5 km deep · 59 km away
  14. 2.320 km NW of Parkfield, California · 17687 days ago · 4 km deep · 55 km away
  15. 2.122 km ENE of San Ardo, California · 17688 days ago · 5 km deep · 43 km away
  16. 2.616 km NW of Parkfield, California · 17690 days ago · 6 km deep · 58 km away
  17. 2.07 km SE of Coalinga, California · 17691 days ago · 26 km deep · 60 km away
  18. 2.934 km SE of Big Sur, California · 17691 days ago · 17 km deep · 93 km away
  19. 2.021 km NE of Soledad, California · 17691 days ago · 6 km deep · 38 km away
  20. 1.939 km W of Three Rocks, California · 17692 days ago · 6 km deep · 8 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1040142. Read Wed, Sep 30, 2026, 12:10 AM UTC.