California earthquakes

M4.5 earthquake 12 km NNW of Benton, California

A magnitude 4.5 earthquake struck 12 km NNW of Benton, California on Wed, May 6, 1981, 6:02 PM PDT (01:02 UTC), 9 km (5 mi) below the surface.

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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: 4.5 (ml), light
Local time: Wed, May 6, 1981, 6:02 PM PDT
UTC: 1981-05-07 01:02:37 UTC
Depth: 8.6 km (5.3 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 37.924° N, 118.534° W
Region: California
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 0.4 km horizontally, 1.4 km in depth
Depth from: From location
Station coverage gap: 119°
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: at least 199 in the 60 days after this one and 151 in the 30 days before it.

After

The first 60 of at least 199.

Before

Earthquakes today California earthquakes Live radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1063372 (also filed as usp0001djk, ci515562). Read Wed, Sep 30, 2026, 12:45 PM UTC.