California earthquakes

M2.1 earthquake 10 km WSW of Avenal, California

A magnitude 2.1 earthquake struck 10 km WSW of Avenal, California on Wed, Feb 18, 1981, 3:17 AM PST (11:17 UTC), 15 km (9 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M3.6 17 km NW of Parkfield, 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
2.1 (md), micro
Local time
UTC
1981-02-18 11:17:48 UTC
Depth
14.6 km (9.1 mi), shallow
Epicenter
35.952° N, 120.228° 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 1.6 km horizontally, 0.7 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.24
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
274°, poorly surrounded by stations
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: 68 in the 60 days after this one and 59 in the 30 days before it.

After

The first 60 of 68.

Before

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1060508 (also filed as ci12255207). Read Wed, Sep 30, 2026, 4:17 AM UTC.