California earthquakes

M1.6 earthquake 17 km W of Three Rocks, California

A magnitude 1.6 earthquake struck 17 km W of Three Rocks, California on Mon, Sep 3, 1979, 6:48 AM PDT (13:48 UTC), 5 km (3 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M3.4 3 km S of San Juan Bautista, 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
1.6 (Md, duration), micro
Magnitude from
Northern California Seismic System
Local time
UTC
1979-09-03 13:48:13 UTC
Depth
4.8 km (3.0 mi), shallow
Epicenter
36.494° N, 120.582° 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 4.2 km horizontally, 6.4 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.09
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
254°, poorly surrounded by stations
Stations used
6

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 126 in the 60 days after this one and 155 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 1.516 km NW of Parkfield, California · 17195 days ago · 4 km deep · 55 km away
  2. 1.928 km NE of Soledad, California · 17195 days ago · 11 km deep · 47 km away
  3. 1.810 km E of Gilroy, California · 17194 days ago · 7 km deep · 96 km away
  4. 1.68 km ENE of Gilroy, California · 17193 days ago · 7 km deep · 99 km away
  5. 1.87 km SW of Hollister, California · 17193 days ago · 11 km deep · 85 km away
  6. 1.67 km SW of Hollister, California · 17193 days ago · 11 km deep · 85 km away
  7. 2.39 km ENE of Gilroy, California · 17192 days ago · 9 km deep · 99 km away
  8. 2.224 km NE of Greenfield, California · 17192 days ago · 5 km deep · 42 km away
  9. 1.624 km NE of Greenfield, California · 17192 days ago · 5 km deep · 42 km away
  10. 1.6Central California · 17192 days ago · 3 km deep · 66 km away
  11. 2.325 km NE of King City, California · 17191 days ago · 4 km deep · 36 km away
  12. 2.024 km NE of Greenfield, California · 17191 days ago · 1 km deep · 41 km away
  13. 1.88 km ENE of Gilroy, California · 17190 days ago · 6 km deep · 100 km away
  14. 2.123 km NE of Soledad, California · 17190 days ago · 9 km deep · 50 km away
  15. 1.88 km ENE of Gilroy, California · 17190 days ago · 5 km deep · 100 km away
  16. 1.824 km NE of Greenfield, California · 17189 days ago · 5 km deep · 42 km away
  17. 1.74 km SW of Tres Pinos, California · 17187 days ago · 8 km deep · 75 km away
  18. 1.622 km SE of Tres Pinos, California · 17187 days ago · 6 km deep · 53 km away
  19. 2.19 km SSW of Ridgemark, California · 17186 days ago · 6 km deep · 78 km away
  20. 1.69 km ENE of Gilroy, California · 17186 days ago · 9 km deep · 100 km away
  21. 1.528 km SW of South Dos Palos, California · 17184 days ago · 2 km deep · 43 km away
  22. 1.68 km S of Spreckels, California · 17183 days ago · 6 km deep · 95 km away
  23. 1.626 km W of Volta, California · 17182 days ago · 3 km deep · 87 km away
  24. 1.81 km ENE of Tres Pinos, California · 17182 days ago · 8 km deep · 73 km away
  25. 2.811 km ESE of Gilroy, California · 17182 days ago · 7 km deep · 93 km away
  26. 2.0Central California · 17182 days ago · 8 km deep · 50 km away
  27. 2.19 km ENE of Gilroy, California · 17182 days ago · 9 km deep · 99 km away
  28. 1.830 km NE of King City, California · 17181 days ago · 5 km deep · 29 km away
  29. 2.44 km NE of Tres Pinos, California · 17181 days ago · 9 km deep · 72 km away
  30. 2.129 km ENE of Soledad, California · 17181 days ago · 9 km deep · 41 km away
  31. 2.821 km NE of Soledad, California · 17181 days ago · 8 km deep · 50 km away
  32. 1.67 km ENE of Gilroy, California · 17181 days ago · 3 km deep · 100 km away
  33. 2.319 km NW of Parkfield, California · 17181 days ago · 8 km deep · 51 km away
  34. 1.821 km SSE of Avenal, California · 17180 days ago · 21 km deep · 88 km away
  35. 1.911 km ESE of Gilroy, California · 17180 days ago · 6 km deep · 93 km away
  36. 1.918 km SSW of Three Rocks, California · 17180 days ago · 25 km deep · 22 km away
  37. 2.029 km ENE of Soledad, California · 17179 days ago · 8 km deep · 41 km away
  38. 1.86 km W of Coalinga, California · 17179 days ago · 6 km deep · 42 km away
  39. 2.229 km ENE of Soledad, California · 17179 days ago · 9 km deep · 40 km away
  40. 2.122 km ENE of Soledad, California · 17178 days ago · 2 km deep · 48 km away
  41. 1.6Central California · 17177 days ago · 7 km deep · 51 km away
  42. 1.94 km SSE of San Juan Bautista, California · 17175 days ago · 6 km deep · 91 km away
  43. 1.813 km NW of Parkfield, California · 17174 days ago · 4 km deep · 57 km away
  44. 2.225 km NNE of King City, California · 17174 days ago · 5 km deep · 37 km away
  45. 1.523 km NE of San Lucas, California · 17173 days ago · 6 km deep · 33 km away
  46. 2.23 km W of San Juan Bautista, California · 17172 days ago · 6 km deep · 96 km away
  47. 2.125 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 17172 days ago · 5 km deep · 38 km away
  48. 1.721 km NE of Soledad, California · 17172 days ago · 1 km deep · 55 km away
  49. 3.12 km SSW of San Juan Bautista, California · 17172 days ago · 6 km deep · 94 km away
  50. 2.72 km SSW of San Juan Bautista, California · 17172 days ago · 6 km deep · 94 km away
  51. 2.32 km SSW of San Juan Bautista, California · 17172 days ago · 6 km deep · 94 km away
  52. 1.510 km E of Gilroy, California · 17171 days ago · 6 km deep · 96 km away
  53. 2.125 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 17171 days ago · 4 km deep · 38 km away
  54. 2.52 km SSW of San Juan Bautista, California · 17171 days ago · 6 km deep · 94 km away
  55. 2.630 km ENE of Soledad, California · 17171 days ago · 7 km deep · 41 km away
  56. 2.612 km ESE of Gilroy, California · 17171 days ago · 8 km deep · 93 km away
  57. 1.715 km SW of Greenfield, California · 17168 days ago · 15 km deep · 77 km away
  58. 1.613 km N of Hollister, California · 17168 days ago · 6 km deep · 89 km away
  59. 2.323 km NNE of San Ardo, California · 17168 days ago · 5 km deep · 37 km away
  60. 2.325 km NE of Soledad, California · 17168 days ago · 9 km deep · 48 km away

The first 60 of 126.

Before

  1. 2.16 km N of Huron, California · 17196 days ago · 32 km deep · 51 km away
  2. 1.713 km NNE of Shandon, California · 17196 days ago · 8 km deep · 84 km away
  3. 1.88 km SE of San Juan Bautista, California · 17197 days ago · 5 km deep · 86 km away
  4. 2.09 km SSW of Ridgemark, California · 17197 days ago · 7 km deep · 78 km away
  5. 1.520 km NW of Parkfield, California · 17197 days ago · 8 km deep · 51 km away
  6. 1.911 km E of Gilroy, California · 17197 days ago · 11 km deep · 94 km away
  7. 1.818 km NW of Parkfield, California · 17198 days ago · 4 km deep · 53 km away
  8. 2.218 km NW of Parkfield, California · 17198 days ago · 5 km deep · 53 km away
  9. 1.818 km NW of Parkfield, California · 17198 days ago · 4 km deep · 53 km away
  10. 1.822 km ENE of Soledad, California · 17198 days ago · 5 km deep · 45 km away
  11. 2.122 km NE of San Lucas, California · 17199 days ago · 6 km deep · 34 km away
  12. 1.621 km NW of Parkfield, California · 17199 days ago · 4 km deep · 51 km away
  13. 1.821 km NW of Parkfield, California · 17199 days ago · 4 km deep · 51 km away
  14. 1.523 km ENE of San Ardo, California · 17199 days ago · 7 km deep · 43 km away
  15. 1.721 km NE of Soledad, California · 17200 days ago · 2 km deep · 52 km away
  16. 1.821 km NE of Soledad, California · 17200 days ago · 5 km deep · 50 km away
  17. 2.48 km ENE of Gilroy, California · 17201 days ago · 8 km deep · 99 km away
  18. 2.321 km NE of Soledad, California · 17202 days ago · 4 km deep · 50 km away
  19. 2.421 km NE of Soledad, California · 17202 days ago · 5 km deep · 50 km away
  20. 1.89 km ESE of Gilroy, California · 17202 days ago · 4 km deep · 95 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1047586. Read Thu, Oct 1, 2026, 7:19 PM UTC.