California earthquakes

M1.6 earthquake Central California

A magnitude 1.6 earthquake struck in Central California on Thu, Sep 6, 1979, 8:30 PM PDT (03:30 UTC), 3 km (2 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M3.4 3 km S of San Juan Bautista, California. This one was a foreshock.

Ridgemark 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, duration), micro
Magnitude from
Northern California Seismic System
Local time
UTC
1979-09-07 03:30:50 UTC
Depth
2.8 km (1.7 mi), shallow
Epicenter
36.729° N, 121.267° 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 9.4 km horizontally, 6.9 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.26
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
252°, poorly surrounded by stations
Stations used
8

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 169 in the 60 days after this one and 169 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 2.325 km NE of King City, California · 17191 days ago · 4 km deep · 46 km away
  2. 2.024 km NE of Greenfield, California · 17191 days ago · 1 km deep · 35 km away
  3. 2.515 km SSE of Livermore, California · 17191 days ago · 8 km deep · 100 km away
  4. 1.69 km NE of Gilroy, California · 17191 days ago · 9 km deep · 43 km away
  5. 1.88 km ENE of Gilroy, California · 17190 days ago · 6 km deep · 38 km away
  6. 2.123 km NE of Soledad, California · 17190 days ago · 9 km deep · 22 km away
  7. 2.58 km ENE of Gilroy, California · 17190 days ago · 5 km deep · 40 km away
  8. 1.88 km ENE of Gilroy, California · 17190 days ago · 5 km deep · 38 km away
  9. 1.824 km NE of Greenfield, California · 17190 days ago · 5 km deep · 34 km away
  10. 2.218 km SW of Davenport, California · 17189 days ago · 17 km deep · 95 km away
  11. 3.09 km NE of San Martin, California · 17189 days ago · 7 km deep · 53 km away
  12. 2.212 km SSE of Davenport, California · 17188 days ago · 6 km deep · 81 km away
  13. 1.58 km ENE of Gilroy, California · 17188 days ago · 5 km deep · 40 km away
  14. 3.25 km W of Newman, California · 17188 days ago · 0 km deep · 68 km away
  15. 2.18 km ENE of San Martin, California · 17188 days ago · 6 km deep · 49 km away
  16. 1.67 km NE of Gilroy, California · 17187 days ago · 6 km deep · 41 km away
  17. 1.74 km SW of Tres Pinos, California · 17187 days ago · 8 km deep · 8 km away
  18. 1.622 km SE of Tres Pinos, California · 17187 days ago · 6 km deep · 15 km away
  19. 2.19 km SSW of Ridgemark, California · 17186 days ago · 6 km deep · 12 km away
  20. 1.69 km ENE of Gilroy, California · 17186 days ago · 9 km deep · 39 km away
  21. 3.12 km WNW of Aromas, California · 17185 days ago · 6 km deep · 41 km away
  22. 1.528 km SW of South Dos Palos, California · 17184 days ago · 2 km deep · 34 km away
  23. 2.18 km ENE of Gilroy, California · 17184 days ago · 6 km deep · 40 km away
  24. 2.28 km WSW of Newman, California · 17184 days ago · 0 km deep · 64 km away
  25. 3.08 km NE of Gilroy, California · 17184 days ago · 7 km deep · 41 km away
  26. 1.68 km S of Spreckels, California · 17184 days ago · 6 km deep · 39 km away
  27. 1.87 km E of San Martin, California · 17183 days ago · 4 km deep · 47 km away
  28. 1.626 km W of Volta, California · 17182 days ago · 3 km deep · 40 km away
  29. 1.81 km ENE of Tres Pinos, California · 17182 days ago · 8 km deep · 8 km away
  30. 2.811 km ESE of Gilroy, California · 17182 days ago · 7 km deep · 30 km away
  31. 2.0Central California · 17182 days ago · 8 km deep · 23 km away
  32. 2.19 km ENE of Gilroy, California · 17182 days ago · 9 km deep · 38 km away
  33. 1.830 km NE of King City, California · 17182 days ago · 5 km deep · 49 km away
  34. 2.44 km NE of Tres Pinos, California · 17182 days ago · 9 km deep · 10 km away
  35. 2.129 km ENE of Soledad, California · 17181 days ago · 9 km deep · 29 km away
  36. 2.821 km NE of Soledad, California · 17181 days ago · 8 km deep · 24 km away
  37. 3.08 km ENE of Gilroy, California · 17181 days ago · 6 km deep · 39 km away
  38. 1.67 km ENE of Gilroy, California · 17181 days ago · 3 km deep · 38 km away
  39. 2.319 km NW of Parkfield, California · 17181 days ago · 8 km deep · 99 km away
  40. 2.29 km NE of Gilroy, California · 17180 days ago · 4 km deep · 42 km away
  41. 1.911 km ESE of Gilroy, California · 17180 days ago · 6 km deep · 30 km away
  42. 1.918 km SSW of Three Rocks, California · 17180 days ago · 25 km deep · 86 km away
  43. 2.029 km ENE of Soledad, California · 17180 days ago · 8 km deep · 29 km away
  44. 1.86 km W of Coalinga, California · 17179 days ago · 6 km deep · 100 km away
  45. 2.229 km ENE of Soledad, California · 17179 days ago · 9 km deep · 29 km away
  46. 2.122 km ENE of Soledad, California · 17178 days ago · 2 km deep · 25 km away
  47. 2.718 km E of East Foothills, California · 17177 days ago · 6 km deep · 76 km away
  48. 1.6Central California · 17177 days ago · 7 km deep · 22 km away
  49. 2.218 km E of East Foothills, California · 17176 days ago · 5 km deep · 76 km away
  50. 2.39 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 17175 days ago · 8 km deep · 81 km away
  51. 1.94 km SSE of San Juan Bautista, California · 17175 days ago · 6 km deep · 24 km away
  52. 2.225 km NNE of King City, California · 17174 days ago · 5 km deep · 44 km away
  53. 1.58 km ENE of Gilroy, California · 17174 days ago · 6 km deep · 39 km away
  54. 1.523 km NE of San Lucas, California · 17173 days ago · 6 km deep · 64 km away
  55. 2.23 km W of San Juan Bautista, California · 17173 days ago · 6 km deep · 30 km away
  56. 2.125 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 17172 days ago · 5 km deep · 40 km away
  57. 1.721 km NE of Soledad, California · 17172 days ago · 1 km deep · 18 km away
  58. 3.12 km SSW of San Juan Bautista, California · 17172 days ago · 6 km deep · 27 km away
  59. 2.72 km SSW of San Juan Bautista, California · 17172 days ago · 6 km deep · 28 km away
  60. 2.32 km SSW of San Juan Bautista, California · 17172 days ago · 6 km deep · 28 km away

The first 60 of 169.

Before

  1. 1.624 km NE of Greenfield, California · 17192 days ago · 5 km deep · 35 km away
  2. 2.224 km NE of Greenfield, California · 17192 days ago · 5 km deep · 35 km away
  3. 2.39 km ENE of Gilroy, California · 17192 days ago · 9 km deep · 38 km away
  4. 1.67 km SW of Hollister, California · 17193 days ago · 11 km deep · 19 km away
  5. 1.87 km SW of Hollister, California · 17193 days ago · 11 km deep · 19 km away
  6. 1.67 km NE of Gilroy, California · 17193 days ago · 8 km deep · 41 km away
  7. 1.68 km ENE of Gilroy, California · 17193 days ago · 7 km deep · 38 km away
  8. 1.810 km E of Gilroy, California · 17194 days ago · 7 km deep · 35 km away
  9. 2.59 km ENE of Gilroy, California · 17195 days ago · 9 km deep · 40 km away
  10. 1.928 km NE of Soledad, California · 17195 days ago · 11 km deep · 21 km away
  11. 1.617 km W of Three Rocks, California · 17195 days ago · 5 km deep · 66 km away
  12. 3.18 km NE of Gilroy, California · 17196 days ago · 5 km deep · 42 km away
  13. 1.88 km SE of San Juan Bautista, California · 17197 days ago · 5 km deep · 19 km away
  14. 2.09 km SSW of Ridgemark, California · 17197 days ago · 7 km deep · 13 km away
  15. 1.67 km ENE of Gilroy, California · 17197 days ago · 3 km deep · 40 km away
  16. 1.520 km NW of Parkfield, California · 17197 days ago · 8 km deep · 98 km away
  17. 1.911 km E of Gilroy, California · 17198 days ago · 11 km deep · 33 km away
  18. 1.822 km ENE of Soledad, California · 17198 days ago · 5 km deep · 29 km away
  19. 2.122 km NE of San Lucas, California · 17199 days ago · 6 km deep · 64 km away
  20. 1.621 km NW of Parkfield, California · 17199 days ago · 4 km deep · 97 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1047663. Read Thu, Oct 1, 2026, 10:06 PM UTC.