California earthquakes

M2.1 earthquake 21 km S of Avenal, California

A magnitude 2.1 earthquake struck 21 km S of Avenal, California on Wed, Feb 18, 1981, 1:50 AM PST (09:50 UTC), 8 km (5 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M2.8 22km SSE of Kettleman City, CA. 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
2.1 (md), micro
Local time
UTC
1981-02-18 09:50:35 UTC
Depth
8.3 km (5.2 mi), shallow
Epicenter
35.813° N, 120.171° 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 4.7 km horizontally, 0.9 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.13
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
280°, 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: 58 in the 60 days after this one and 50 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 2.110 km WSW of Avenal, California · 16652 days ago · 15 km deep · 16 km away
  2. 1.825 km NE of King City, California · 16651 days ago · 8 km deep · 96 km away
  3. 2.822km SSE of Kettleman City, CA · 16650 days ago · 5 km deep · 26 km away
  4. 1.919 km S of Avenal, California · 16650 days ago · 10 km deep · 5 km away
  5. 1.820 km S of Avenal, California · 16650 days ago · 11 km deep · 6 km away
  6. 1.83 km N of Avenal, California · 16648 days ago · 14 km deep · 25 km away
  7. 1.66 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16648 days ago · 10 km deep · 32 km away
  8. 3.22 km SSW of Edna, California · 16647 days ago · 0 km deep · 82 km away
  9. 3.04 km WSW of Coalinga, California · 16647 days ago · 8 km deep · 40 km away
  10. 1.810 km NE of Coalinga, California · 16645 days ago · 11 km deep · 45 km away
  11. 3.617 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16645 days ago · 5 km deep · 42 km away
  12. 1.714km NNE of Taft, CA · 16645 days ago · 8 km deep · 95 km away
  13. 1.914km NNE of Taft, CA · 16645 days ago · 5 km deep · 95 km away
  14. 2.621 km SSE of Avenal, California · 16644 days ago · 12 km deep · 12 km away
  15. 2.032km E of Cholame, CA · 16644 days ago · 5 km deep · 25 km away
  16. 2.029km S of Kettleman City, CA · 16644 days ago · 5 km deep · 19 km away
  17. 2.420 km SSE of Avenal, California · 16643 days ago · 12 km deep · 9 km away
  18. 2.723 km NE of San Ardo, California · 16641 days ago · 8 km deep · 64 km away
  19. 2.79 km W of Huron, California · 16641 days ago · 5 km deep · 42 km away
  20. 1.620 km SSE of Avenal, California · 16640 days ago · 12 km deep · 8 km away
  21. 2.021 km S of Avenal, California · 16640 days ago · 11 km deep · 4 km away
  22. 2.120 km SSE of Avenal, California · 16640 days ago · 13 km deep · 8 km away
  23. 2.122 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16632 days ago · 6 km deep · 47 km away
  24. 1.723 km NNE of San Lucas, California · 16627 days ago · 8 km deep · 84 km away
  25. 2.31km ENE of Avila Beach, CA · 16626 days ago · 5 km deep · 86 km away
  26. 2.66km WSW of Avila Beach, CA · 16626 days ago · -1 km deep · 92 km away
  27. 2.123 km NE of San Ardo, California · 16623 days ago · 7 km deep · 68 km away
  28. 1.8Central California · 16619 days ago · 11 km deep · 45 km away
  29. 1.60 km SW of Parkfield, California · 16617 days ago · 10 km deep · 26 km away
  30. 2.14 km SW of Avenal, California · 16616 days ago · 17 km deep · 18 km away
  31. 2.03 km SW of Avenal, California · 16616 days ago · 17 km deep · 18 km away
  32. 1.524 km NNE of King City, California · 16616 days ago · 7 km deep · 98 km away
  33. 1.732 km NE of San Lucas, California · 16615 days ago · 8 km deep · 78 km away
  34. 2.519 km NNW of San Simeon, California · 16615 days ago · 5 km deep · 99 km away
  35. 1.822 km NE of San Ardo, California · 16614 days ago · 3 km deep · 66 km away
  36. 2.519 km NNW of San Simeon, California · 16614 days ago · 5 km deep · 97 km away
  37. 2.224 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16612 days ago · 7 km deep · 99 km away
  38. 1.65 km SSE of Parkfield, California · 16610 days ago · 5 km deep · 22 km away
  39. 1.98 km WSW of Templeton, California · 16607 days ago · 4 km deep · 65 km away
  40. 2.123 km ENE of San Lucas, California · 16607 days ago · 6 km deep · 73 km away
  41. 2.25 km SSE of Parkfield, California · 16607 days ago · 5 km deep · 22 km away
  42. 2.36 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16606 days ago · 5 km deep · 31 km away
  43. 2.311 km NNE of Avenal, California · 16606 days ago · 0 km deep · 33 km away
  44. 3.08 km NNE of Avenal, California · 16606 days ago · 8 km deep · 30 km away
  45. 1.811 km NNE of Avenal, California · 16606 days ago · 0 km deep · 33 km away
  46. 1.923 km NNE of San Lucas, California · 16606 days ago · 9 km deep · 84 km away
  47. 1.624 km NNE of San Lucas, California · 16606 days ago · 9 km deep · 85 km away
  48. 1.58 km N of Avenal, California · 16606 days ago · 4 km deep · 30 km away
  49. 1.521 km SSW of Kettleman City, California · 16604 days ago · 2 km deep · 13 km away
  50. 2.39km SSE of Kettleman City, CA · 16604 days ago · 5 km deep · 27 km away
  51. 2.07 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16602 days ago · 10 km deep · 32 km away
  52. 2.012 km WSW of Avila Beach, California · 16601 days ago · 4 km deep · 97 km away
  53. 2.319km SSE of Kettleman City, CA · 16599 days ago · 5 km deep · 28 km away
  54. 1.622 km S of Avenal, California · 16598 days ago · 9 km deep · 4 km away
  55. 1.815 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16596 days ago · 5 km deep · 40 km away
  56. 1.521 km ESE of Shandon, California · 16593 days ago · 11 km deep · 26 km away
  57. 1.722 km ESE of Shandon, California · 16593 days ago · 11 km deep · 26 km away
  58. 1.623 km ENE of King City, California · 16593 days ago · 9 km deep · 87 km away

Before

  1. 1.88 km WSW of Avenal, California · 16652 days ago · 13 km deep · 17 km away
  2. 1.76 km WSW of Avenal, California · 16652 days ago · 13 km deep · 18 km away
  3. 2.421 km S of Avenal, California · 16653 days ago · 9 km deep · 1 km away
  4. 2.322km SSE of Kettleman City, CA · 16653 days ago · 5 km deep · 25 km away
  5. 2.323km SSE of Kettleman City, CA · 16653 days ago · 5 km deep · 25 km away
  6. 1.623 km ENE of San Lucas, California · 16654 days ago · 6 km deep · 74 km away
  7. 2.120km SSE of Kettleman City, CA · 16654 days ago · 5 km deep · 24 km away
  8. 2.021 km S of Avenal, California · 16654 days ago · 10 km deep · 3 km away
  9. 1.620 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16654 days ago · 4 km deep · 45 km away
  10. 2.331km E of Cholame, CA · 16654 days ago · 5 km deep · 24 km away
  11. 1.722 km NE of San Ardo, California · 16655 days ago · 9 km deep · 65 km away
  12. 1.816 km N of San Simeon, California · 16656 days ago · 6 km deep · 95 km away
  13. 1.825 km NE of King City, California · 16657 days ago · 0 km deep · 97 km away
  14. 2.05km SSE of Delano, CA · 16657 days ago · 5 km deep · 86 km away
  15. 1.512 km NE of San Miguel, California · 16658 days ago · 8 km deep · 38 km away
  16. 3.316 km NNW of San Simeon, California · 16658 days ago · 3 km deep · 99 km away
  17. 3.513 km W of Avenal, California · 16659 days ago · 9 km deep · 23 km away
  18. 3.411km ENE of Coalinga, CA · 16659 days ago · 5 km deep · 42 km away
  19. 1.67 km NNE of Coalinga, California · 16660 days ago · 7 km deep · 46 km away
  20. 2.29 km NE of Coalinga, California · 16660 days ago · 10 km deep · 45 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1060505 (also filed as ci12255199). Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 12:12 PM UTC.