California earthquakes

M1.7 earthquake 10 km WNW of Avenal, California

A magnitude 1.7 earthquake struck 10 km WNW of Avenal, California on Wed, Aug 12, 1981, 9:59 AM PDT (16:59 UTC), 9 km (6 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M2.8 10 km W of Huron, 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
1.7 (md), micro
Local time
UTC
1981-08-12 16:59:50 UTC
Depth
9.4 km (5.8 mi), shallow
Epicenter
36.046° N, 120.230° 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 0.8 km horizontally, 0.5 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.08
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
256°, poorly surrounded by stations
Stations used
14

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 71 in the 60 days after this one and 49 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 2.810 km W of Huron, California · 16476 days ago · 9 km deep · 18 km away
  2. 1.911 km W of Huron, California · 16476 days ago · 8 km deep · 17 km away
  3. 2.411 km W of Huron, California · 16476 days ago · 8 km deep · 17 km away
  4. 1.74 km SSE of Parkfield, California · 16474 days ago · 4 km deep · 26 km away
  5. 1.726 km WSW of Three Rocks, California · 16474 days ago · 9 km deep · 61 km away
  6. 2.123 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16473 days ago · 5 km deep · 91 km away
  7. 1.922 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16471 days ago · 3 km deep · 96 km away
  8. 1.824 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16470 days ago · 3 km deep · 90 km away
  9. 1.727 km W of Coalinga, California · 16470 days ago · 6 km deep · 41 km away
  10. 2.47km W of Delano, CA · 16470 days ago · 5 km deep · 88 km away
  11. 1.922 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16470 days ago · -1 km deep · 34 km away
  12. 1.738 km SSW of South Dos Palos, California · 16469 days ago · 8 km deep · 85 km away
  13. 2.124 km ENE of San Ardo, California · 16467 days ago · 7 km deep · 39 km away
  14. 1.830 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16466 days ago · 7 km deep · 93 km away
  15. 1.524 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16465 days ago · 5 km deep · 88 km away
  16. 2.137 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16465 days ago · 5 km deep · 76 km away
  17. 1.524 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16465 days ago · 2 km deep · 86 km away
  18. 2.237 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16465 days ago · 5 km deep · 76 km away
  19. 1.518 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16465 days ago · 4 km deep · 31 km away
  20. 1.924 km NE of King City, California · 16461 days ago · 1 km deep · 76 km away
  21. 2.424 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16458 days ago · 2 km deep · 89 km away
  22. 2.724 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16456 days ago · 3 km deep · 90 km away
  23. 2.535 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16454 days ago · 5 km deep · 86 km away
  24. 1.710 km SW of Templeton, California · 16454 days ago · 7 km deep · 80 km away
  25. 2.221 km NE of Soledad, California · 16453 days ago · 8 km deep · 97 km away
  26. 1.929 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16453 days ago · 7 km deep · 70 km away
  27. 2.324 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16452 days ago · 6 km deep · 87 km away
  28. 1.524 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16451 days ago · 4 km deep · 90 km away
  29. 2.424 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16451 days ago · 0 km deep · 85 km away
  30. 1.524 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16451 days ago · 1 km deep · 84 km away
  31. 3.121 km NE of Soledad, California · 16451 days ago · 5 km deep · 98 km away
  32. 2.815 km SSW of Lockwood, California · 16449 days ago · 5 km deep · 87 km away
  33. 2.737 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16448 days ago · 7 km deep · 76 km away
  34. 2.338 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16448 days ago · 0 km deep · 77 km away
  35. 1.638 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16448 days ago · 5 km deep · 77 km away
  36. 2.237 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16448 days ago · 6 km deep · 76 km away
  37. 2.7Central California · 16447 days ago · 11 km deep · 63 km away
  38. 1.69 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16447 days ago · 3 km deep · 27 km away
  39. 1.737 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16447 days ago · 3 km deep · 76 km away
  40. 2.015 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16443 days ago · 4 km deep · 30 km away
  41. 3.117 km NNW of San Simeon, California · 16442 days ago · 7 km deep · 99 km away
  42. 1.8Near the coast of Central California · 16442 days ago · 6 km deep · 85 km away
  43. 2.718 km NNW of San Simeon, California · 16442 days ago · 6 km deep · 99 km away
  44. 1.638 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16441 days ago · 4 km deep · 77 km away
  45. 2.424 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16438 days ago · 3 km deep · 91 km away
  46. 2.330 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16435 days ago · 7 km deep · 93 km away
  47. 2.217 km NNW of San Simeon, California · 16435 days ago · 4 km deep · 98 km away
  48. 1.59 km WSW of Atascadero, California · 16434 days ago · 5 km deep · 80 km away
  49. 1.923 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16434 days ago · 3 km deep · 91 km away
  50. 1.9Central California · 16434 days ago · 2 km deep · 38 km away
  51. 1.725 km WSW of Coalinga, California · 16433 days ago · 2 km deep · 36 km away
  52. 2.123 km NE of San Lucas, California · 16433 days ago · 7 km deep · 57 km away
  53. 2.2Central California · 16433 days ago · 6 km deep · 21 km away
  54. 2.112 km SE of Coalinga, California · 16432 days ago · 9 km deep · 3 km away
  55. 3.014 km SSE of Coalinga, California · 16432 days ago · 0 km deep · 7 km away
  56. 1.927 km ENE of King City, California · 16432 days ago · 9 km deep · 67 km away
  57. 2.123 km NE of Soledad, California · 16431 days ago · 9 km deep · 100 km away
  58. 3.131 km NE of Soledad, California · 16431 days ago · 8 km deep · 96 km away
  59. 1.810 km NNE of Cayucos, California · 16430 days ago · 5 km deep · 80 km away
  60. 1.623 km NE of San Lucas, California · 16428 days ago · 5 km deep · 63 km away

The first 60 of 71.

Before

  1. 1.521 km NE of Soledad, California · 16477 days ago · 8 km deep · 98 km away
  2. 1.538 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16481 days ago · 7 km deep · 76 km away
  3. 1.539 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16481 days ago · 11 km deep · 76 km away
  4. 2.519 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16482 days ago · 5 km deep · 32 km away
  5. 1.5Central California · 16483 days ago · 4 km deep · 76 km away
  6. 2.637 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16483 days ago · 7 km deep · 76 km away
  7. 1.738 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16483 days ago · 5 km deep · 77 km away
  8. 2.338 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16484 days ago · 4 km deep · 77 km away
  9. 1.838 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16484 days ago · 7 km deep · 76 km away
  10. 1.838 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16484 days ago · 4 km deep · 77 km away
  11. 1.638 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16484 days ago · 5 km deep · 77 km away
  12. 2.038 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16485 days ago · 5 km deep · 76 km away
  13. 2.737 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16485 days ago · 7 km deep · 76 km away
  14. 1.638 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16485 days ago · 5 km deep · 76 km away
  15. 1.738 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16485 days ago · 5 km deep · 77 km away
  16. 2.324 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16486 days ago · 3 km deep · 87 km away
  17. 2.038 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16487 days ago · 6 km deep · 76 km away
  18. 1.820 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16487 days ago · 4 km deep · 33 km away
  19. 2.338 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16489 days ago · 8 km deep · 76 km away
  20. 1.637 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16489 days ago · 5 km deep · 77 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1066633. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 9:29 PM UTC.