California earthquakes

M1.5 earthquake 8 km NNE of Milpitas, California

A magnitude 1.5 earthquake struck 8 km NNE of Milpitas, California on Mon, Feb 19, 1979, 10:51 PM PST (06:51 UTC), 3 km (2 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M3.5 12 km E of Blackhawk, California. This one was a foreshock.

Milpitas 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
1.5 (Md, duration), micro
Magnitude from
Northern California Seismic System
Local time
UTC
1979-02-20 06:51:57 UTC
Depth
3.0 km (1.8 mi), shallow
Epicenter
37.498° N, 121.871° 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, 0.4 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.11
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
67°
Stations used
15

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 52 in the 60 days after this one and 50 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 3.512 km E of Blackhawk, California · 17393 days ago · 9 km deep · 38 km away
  2. 3.0Northern California · 17393 days ago · 15 km deep · 39 km away
  3. 1.820 km W of Volta, California · 17391 days ago · 3 km deep · 77 km away
  4. 1.77 km ESE of Sunol, California · 17390 days ago · 10 km deep · 8 km away
  5. 1.93 km S of Hollister, California · 17389 days ago · 7 km deep · 86 km away
  6. 2.34 km SSE of Pittsburg, California · 17389 days ago · 16 km deep · 55 km away
  7. 1.75 km NE of Lexington Hills, California · 17387 days ago · 9 km deep · 34 km away
  8. 1.63 km S of Hollister, California · 17386 days ago · 7 km deep · 86 km away
  9. 2.73 km ESE of Pacifica, California · 17386 days ago · 12 km deep · 52 km away
  10. 2.59 km NW of Broadmoor, California · 17386 days ago · 10 km deep · 67 km away
  11. 1.96 km SE of Tres Pinos, California · 17382 days ago · 10 km deep · 99 km away
  12. 2.57 km N of Interlaken, California · 17380 days ago · 9 km deep · 55 km away
  13. 2.18 km SE of Seven Trees, California · 17377 days ago · 3 km deep · 30 km away
  14. 1.65 km SSW of Tres Pinos, California · 17375 days ago · 4 km deep · 95 km away
  15. 2.05 km SSW of Tres Pinos, California · 17375 days ago · 4 km deep · 95 km away
  16. 3.214 km SE of Livermore, California · 17374 days ago · 8 km deep · 20 km away
  17. 1.79 km S of Pescadero, California · 17374 days ago · 12 km deep · 58 km away
  18. 2.414 km SE of Livermore, California · 17373 days ago · 7 km deep · 19 km away
  19. 1.6Central California · 17372 days ago · 7 km deep · 75 km away
  20. 2.016 km SSE of Diablo Grande, California · 17371 days ago · 2 km deep · 63 km away
  21. 1.85 km WSW of Gilroy, California · 17370 days ago · 5 km deep · 62 km away
  22. 2.31 km NW of Pleasant Hill, California · 17367 days ago · 9 km deep · 54 km away
  23. 2.88 km ENE of San Martin, California · 17365 days ago · 8 km deep · 53 km away
  24. 1.61 km SSE of Blackhawk, California · 17363 days ago · 1 km deep · 34 km away
  25. 2.44 km SE of North Gate, California · 17362 days ago · 12 km deep · 43 km away
  26. 1.78 km SE of Seven Trees, California · 17361 days ago · 5 km deep · 31 km away
  27. 1.83 km SE of Piedmont, California · 17359 days ago · 11 km deep · 44 km away
  28. 2.12 km ESE of Cupertino, California · 17358 days ago · 13 km deep · 24 km away
  29. 2.215 km N of Morgan Hill, California · 17355 days ago · 2 km deep · 32 km away
  30. 2.34 km E of Sunol, California · 17353 days ago · 7 km deep · 11 km away
  31. 3.010 km WSW of Ridgemark, California · 17351 days ago · 8 km deep · 88 km away
  32. 1.79 km WSW of Ridgemark, California · 17351 days ago · 7 km deep · 89 km away
  33. 1.98 km WNW of Broadmoor, California · 17350 days ago · 7 km deep · 66 km away
  34. 1.65 km S of Gilroy, California · 17350 days ago · 3 km deep · 65 km away
  35. 1.81 km ENE of Visitacion Valley, California · 17350 days ago · 4 km deep · 52 km away
  36. 1.87 km NNE of Hollister, California · 17349 days ago · 7 km deep · 78 km away
  37. 2.410 km WSW of Ridgemark, California · 17349 days ago · 6 km deep · 90 km away
  38. 1.513 km N of Morgan Hill, California · 17349 days ago · 5 km deep · 34 km away
  39. 1.98 km NE of Milpitas, California · 17349 days ago · 7 km deep · 4 km away
  40. 2.46 km ENE of Vallejo, California · 17345 days ago · 0 km deep · 74 km away
  41. 1.84 km SE of Highlands-Baywood Park, California · 17343 days ago · 15 km deep · 39 km away
  42. 2.08 km SW of Tres Pinos, California · 17342 days ago · 2 km deep · 96 km away
  43. 2.77 km SSE of Livermore, California · 17342 days ago · 5 km deep · 18 km away
  44. 2.27 km SSE of Livermore, California · 17342 days ago · 6 km deep · 18 km away
  45. 2.13 km NE of Interlaken, California · 17340 days ago · 11 km deep · 60 km away
  46. 2.19 km SW of San Martin, California · 17339 days ago · 2 km deep · 54 km away
  47. 2.69 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 17338 days ago · 6 km deep · 21 km away
  48. 1.71 km NW of Concord, California · 17338 days ago · 15 km deep · 56 km away
  49. 2.06 km NNE of East Foothills, California · 17337 days ago · 6 km deep · 10 km away
  50. 1.95 km ESE of Aromas, California · 17336 days ago · 5 km deep · 75 km away
  51. 2.1Central California · 17335 days ago · 4 km deep · 95 km away
  52. 2.314 km E of Seven Trees, California · 17335 days ago · 6 km deep · 27 km away

Before

  1. 1.89 km NNW of Hollister, California · 17394 days ago · 7 km deep · 73 km away
  2. 2.14 km SE of Concord, California · 17395 days ago · 12 km deep · 52 km away
  3. 2.32 km SE of Concord, California · 17395 days ago · 13 km deep · 53 km away
  4. 2.94 km SE of Concord, California · 17395 days ago · 13 km deep · 52 km away
  5. 2.56 km ESE of Fremont, California · 17396 days ago · 7 km deep · 6 km away
  6. 2.14 km SW of Ridgemark, California · 17396 days ago · 9 km deep · 90 km away
  7. 2.75 km SW of Gilroy, California · 17396 days ago · 4 km deep · 63 km away
  8. 2.58 km NNE of Morgan Hill, California · 17396 days ago · 5 km deep · 39 km away
  9. 2.95 km S of Gilroy, California · 17396 days ago · 7 km deep · 66 km away
  10. 2.015 km SSW of Santa Cruz, California · 17397 days ago · 5 km deep · 76 km away
  11. 1.78 km ENE of Morgan Hill, California · 17397 days ago · 3 km deep · 45 km away
  12. 1.66 km SE of Tres Pinos, California · 17397 days ago · 10 km deep · 98 km away
  13. 2.01 km S of Milpitas, California · 17398 days ago · 2 km deep · 10 km away
  14. 2.07 km E of Gilroy, California · 17399 days ago · 4 km deep · 64 km away
  15. 2.07 km E of Gilroy, California · 17399 days ago · 5 km deep · 64 km away
  16. 1.96 km SSW of Livermore, California · 17399 days ago · 6 km deep · 16 km away
  17. 1.75 km S of Gilroy, California · 17400 days ago · 6 km deep · 66 km away
  18. 1.811 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 17400 days ago · 8 km deep · 23 km away
  19. 2.13 km NW of Diablo, California · 17400 days ago · 15 km deep · 41 km away
  20. 2.55 km S of Gilroy, California · 17401 days ago · 6 km deep · 65 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1044741. Read Mon, Oct 5, 2026, 9:36 AM UTC.