California earthquakes

M2.0 earthquake 21 km S of Avenal, California

A magnitude 2.0 earthquake struck 21 km S of Avenal, California on Mon, Feb 16, 1981, 1:53 PM PST (21:53 UTC), 10 km (6 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M3.6 17 km NW of Parkfield, California. This one was a foreshock.

Avenal 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
2.0 (md), micro
Local time
UTC
1981-02-16 21:53:13 UTC
Depth
9.7 km (6.0 mi), shallow
Epicenter
35.807° N, 120.140° 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 4.9 km horizontally, 0.5 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.18
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
286°, poorly surrounded by stations
Stations used
10

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 59 in the 60 days after this one and 41 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 2.120km SSE of Kettleman City, CA · 16661 days ago · 5 km deep · 21 km away
  2. 1.623 km ENE of San Lucas, California · 16661 days ago · 6 km deep · 77 km away
  3. 2.323km SSE of Kettleman City, CA · 16660 days ago · 5 km deep · 22 km away
  4. 2.322km SSE of Kettleman City, CA · 16660 days ago · 5 km deep · 23 km away
  5. 2.421 km S of Avenal, California · 16660 days ago · 9 km deep · 2 km away
  6. 1.76 km WSW of Avenal, California · 16660 days ago · 13 km deep · 19 km away
  7. 1.88 km WSW of Avenal, California · 16660 days ago · 13 km deep · 19 km away
  8. 2.121 km S of Avenal, California · 16660 days ago · 8 km deep · 3 km away
  9. 2.110 km WSW of Avenal, California · 16660 days ago · 15 km deep · 18 km away
  10. 1.825 km NE of King City, California · 16659 days ago · 8 km deep · 99 km away
  11. 2.822km SSE of Kettleman City, CA · 16658 days ago · 5 km deep · 23 km away
  12. 1.919 km S of Avenal, California · 16658 days ago · 10 km deep · 3 km away
  13. 1.820 km S of Avenal, California · 16658 days ago · 11 km deep · 4 km away
  14. 1.83 km N of Avenal, California · 16656 days ago · 14 km deep · 26 km away
  15. 1.66 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16656 days ago · 10 km deep · 35 km away
  16. 3.22 km SSW of Edna, California · 16655 days ago · 0 km deep · 82 km away
  17. 3.04 km WSW of Coalinga, California · 16655 days ago · 8 km deep · 42 km away
  18. 1.810 km NE of Coalinga, California · 16653 days ago · 11 km deep · 47 km away
  19. 3.617 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16653 days ago · 5 km deep · 45 km away
  20. 1.714km NNE of Taft, CA · 16653 days ago · 8 km deep · 92 km away
  21. 1.914km NNE of Taft, CA · 16652 days ago · 5 km deep · 92 km away
  22. 2.621 km SSE of Avenal, California · 16652 days ago · 12 km deep · 9 km away
  23. 2.032km E of Cholame, CA · 16652 days ago · 5 km deep · 22 km away
  24. 2.029km S of Kettleman City, CA · 16652 days ago · 5 km deep · 16 km away
  25. 2.420 km SSE of Avenal, California · 16651 days ago · 12 km deep · 7 km away
  26. 2.723 km NE of San Ardo, California · 16649 days ago · 8 km deep · 67 km away
  27. 2.79 km W of Huron, California · 16648 days ago · 5 km deep · 43 km away
  28. 1.620 km SSE of Avenal, California · 16648 days ago · 12 km deep · 6 km away
  29. 2.021 km S of Avenal, California · 16648 days ago · 11 km deep · 1 km away
  30. 2.120 km SSE of Avenal, California · 16648 days ago · 13 km deep · 6 km away
  31. 2.122 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16640 days ago · 6 km deep · 50 km away
  32. 1.723 km NNE of San Lucas, California · 16635 days ago · 8 km deep · 87 km away
  33. 2.31km ENE of Avila Beach, CA · 16634 days ago · 5 km deep · 87 km away
  34. 2.66km WSW of Avila Beach, CA · 16634 days ago · -1 km deep · 93 km away
  35. 2.123 km NE of San Ardo, California · 16630 days ago · 7 km deep · 70 km away
  36. 1.8Central California · 16626 days ago · 11 km deep · 46 km away
  37. 1.60 km SW of Parkfield, California · 16625 days ago · 10 km deep · 28 km away
  38. 2.14 km SW of Avenal, California · 16624 days ago · 17 km deep · 19 km away
  39. 2.03 km SW of Avenal, California · 16624 days ago · 17 km deep · 19 km away
  40. 1.732 km NE of San Lucas, California · 16623 days ago · 8 km deep · 80 km away
  41. 1.822 km NE of San Ardo, California · 16621 days ago · 3 km deep · 69 km away
  42. 1.65 km SSE of Parkfield, California · 16618 days ago · 5 km deep · 24 km away
  43. 1.98 km WSW of Templeton, California · 16615 days ago · 4 km deep · 67 km away
  44. 2.123 km ENE of San Lucas, California · 16615 days ago · 6 km deep · 75 km away
  45. 2.25 km SSE of Parkfield, California · 16615 days ago · 5 km deep · 24 km away
  46. 2.36 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16614 days ago · 5 km deep · 34 km away
  47. 2.311 km NNE of Avenal, California · 16614 days ago · 0 km deep · 33 km away
  48. 3.08 km NNE of Avenal, California · 16614 days ago · 8 km deep · 31 km away
  49. 1.811 km NNE of Avenal, California · 16614 days ago · 0 km deep · 33 km away
  50. 1.923 km NNE of San Lucas, California · 16614 days ago · 9 km deep · 87 km away
  51. 1.624 km NNE of San Lucas, California · 16614 days ago · 9 km deep · 87 km away
  52. 1.58 km N of Avenal, California · 16613 days ago · 4 km deep · 30 km away
  53. 1.521 km SSW of Kettleman City, California · 16612 days ago · 2 km deep · 10 km away
  54. 2.39km SSE of Kettleman City, CA · 16612 days ago · 5 km deep · 25 km away
  55. 2.07 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16610 days ago · 10 km deep · 35 km away
  56. 2.012 km WSW of Avila Beach, California · 16609 days ago · 4 km deep · 98 km away
  57. 2.319km SSE of Kettleman City, CA · 16607 days ago · 5 km deep · 26 km away
  58. 1.622 km S of Avenal, California · 16606 days ago · 9 km deep · 1 km away
  59. 1.815 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16604 days ago · 5 km deep · 43 km away

Before

  1. 1.620 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16661 days ago · 4 km deep · 48 km away
  2. 2.331km E of Cholame, CA · 16661 days ago · 5 km deep · 21 km away
  3. 1.722 km NE of San Ardo, California · 16662 days ago · 9 km deep · 68 km away
  4. 1.816 km N of San Simeon, California · 16664 days ago · 6 km deep · 98 km away
  5. 1.825 km NE of King City, California · 16664 days ago · 0 km deep · 99 km away
  6. 2.05km SSE of Delano, CA · 16665 days ago · 5 km deep · 83 km away
  7. 1.512 km NE of San Miguel, California · 16665 days ago · 8 km deep · 41 km away
  8. 3.513 km W of Avenal, California · 16667 days ago · 9 km deep · 25 km away
  9. 3.411km ENE of Coalinga, CA · 16667 days ago · 5 km deep · 43 km away
  10. 1.67 km NNE of Coalinga, California · 16667 days ago · 7 km deep · 47 km away
  11. 2.29 km NE of Coalinga, California · 16667 days ago · 10 km deep · 47 km away
  12. 2.014 km W of Oak Shores, California · 16669 days ago · 5 km deep · 90 km away
  13. 3.114 km NNE of Shandon, California · 16670 days ago · 4 km deep · 17 km away
  14. 1.71 km E of San Ardo, California · 16670 days ago · 9 km deep · 71 km away
  15. 2.322 km ENE of San Ardo, California · 16671 days ago · 5 km deep · 61 km away
  16. 2.022 km ENE of San Ardo, California · 16671 days ago · 5 km deep · 61 km away
  17. 1.814 km W of Coalinga, California · 16673 days ago · 2 km deep · 49 km away
  18. 1.83 km SE of San Ardo, California · 16674 days ago · 10 km deep · 70 km away
  19. 2.09 km NE of Coalinga, California · 16675 days ago · 10 km deep · 46 km away
  20. 2.110 km NE of Coalinga, California · 16675 days ago · 10 km deep · 46 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1060448 (also filed as ci12255003). Read Wed, Sep 30, 2026, 7:56 AM UTC.