California earthquakes

M3.1 earthquake 30 km NW of Benton, California

A magnitude 3.1 earthquake struck 30 km NW of Benton, California on Sat, May 23, 1981, 6:50 PM PDT (01:50 UTC), 4 km (2 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M3.7 12 km SE of Mammoth Lakes, 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
3.1 (md), minor
Local time
UTC
1981-05-24 01:50:31 UTC
Depth
3.8 km (2.4 mi), shallow
Epicenter
38.005° N, 118.730° 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 0.3 km horizontally, 1.0 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.26
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
107°
Stations used
13

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 201 in the 60 days after this one and 75 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 1.615km NE of Mammoth Lakes, CA · 16565 days ago · 4 km deep · 33 km away
  2. 3.124 km E of Fish Camp, California · 16564 days ago · 15 km deep · 79 km away
  3. 2.624 km E of Fish Camp, California · 16564 days ago · 15 km deep · 79 km away
  4. 1.913km E of Mammoth Lakes, CA · 16564 days ago · 4 km deep · 41 km away
  5. 2.017km SE of Mammoth Lakes, CA · 16564 days ago · 4 km deep · 52 km away
  6. 3.34 km NNW of West Bishop, California · 16563 days ago · 14 km deep · 71 km away
  7. 2.07km NW of Dixon Lane-Meadow Creek, CA · 16563 days ago · 4 km deep · 68 km away
  8. 2.020km SE of Mammoth Lakes, CA · 16562 days ago · 5 km deep · 56 km away
  9. 1.824km SSE of Mammoth Lakes, CA · 16561 days ago · 5 km deep · 64 km away
  10. 2.621km SSE of Mammoth Lakes, CA · 16561 days ago · 5 km deep · 60 km away
  11. 2.158km SE of Hawthorne, NV · 16561 days ago · 4 km deep · 59 km away
  12. 1.817km ENE of Mammoth Lakes, CA · 16561 days ago · 4 km deep · 35 km away
  13. 2.017km SE of Mammoth Lakes, CA · 16561 days ago · 5 km deep · 54 km away
  14. 2.342km E of Hawthorne, NV · 16560 days ago · 4 km deep · 82 km away
  15. 1.89km E of Mammoth Lakes, CA · 16560 days ago · 4 km deep · 42 km away
  16. 2.542km ENE of Hawthorne, NV · 16559 days ago · 4 km deep · 84 km away
  17. 2.025km E of Mammoth Lakes, CA · 16559 days ago · 4 km deep · 44 km away
  18. 1.955km NNE of Dixon Lane-Meadow Creek, CA · 16557 days ago · 4 km deep · 51 km away
  19. 1.51 km SE of Mammoth Lakes, California · 16556 days ago · 6 km deep · 46 km away
  20. 3.12 km ESE of Mammoth Lakes, California · 16556 days ago · 5 km deep · 45 km away
  21. 1.741km NNW of Dixon Lane-Meadow Creek, CA · 16556 days ago · 4 km deep · 34 km away
  22. 2.810km ESE of Mammoth Lakes, CA · 16555 days ago · 4 km deep · 45 km away
  23. 1.922km SE of Mammoth Lakes, CA · 16554 days ago · 4 km deep · 59 km away
  24. 2.352km NE of Mammoth Lakes, CA · 16554 days ago · 4 km deep · 16 km away
  25. 1.925km SE of Mammoth Lakes, CA · 16553 days ago · 4 km deep · 56 km away
  26. 1.938km NNE of Dixon Lane-Meadow Creek, CA · 16553 days ago · 4 km deep · 54 km away
  27. 1.79km SE of Mammoth Lakes, CA · 16553 days ago · 5 km deep · 51 km away
  28. 1.923km ESE of Mammoth Lakes, CA · 16552 days ago · 4 km deep · 53 km away
  29. 2.349km N of Mammoth Lakes, CA · 16552 days ago · 4 km deep · 29 km away
  30. 3.115 km WSW of Aspen Springs, California · 16552 days ago · 3 km deep · 57 km away
  31. 3.1California-Nevada border region · 16552 days ago · 3 km deep · 56 km away
  32. 3.211 km W of Aspen Springs, California · 16552 days ago · 3 km deep · 52 km away
  33. 2.34km NNE of Mammoth Lakes, CA · 16552 days ago · 5 km deep · 43 km away
  34. 2.815 km WSW of Aspen Springs, California · 16551 days ago · 2 km deep · 57 km away
  35. 3.015 km WSW of Aspen Springs, California · 16551 days ago · 2 km deep · 57 km away
  36. 2.639km ENE of Hawthorne, NV · 16551 days ago · 4 km deep · 82 km away
  37. 2.814 km WSW of Aspen Springs, California · 16550 days ago · 2 km deep · 57 km away
  38. 3.010 km SW of Aspen Springs, California · 16550 days ago · 7 km deep · 58 km away
  39. 1.814km ESE of Mammoth Lakes, CA · 16550 days ago · 4 km deep · 49 km away
  40. 2.511 km SW of Aspen Springs, California · 16549 days ago · 11 km deep · 59 km away
  41. 2.158km N of Dixon Lane-Meadow Creek, CA · 16548 days ago · 4 km deep · 32 km away
  42. 2.611 km ESE of Mammoth Lakes, California · 16548 days ago · 5 km deep · 44 km away
  43. 2.910km E of Mammoth Lakes, CA · 16548 days ago · 4 km deep · 41 km away
  44. 2.013km ENE of Mammoth Lakes, CA · 16547 days ago · 4 km deep · 38 km away
  45. 3.0California-Nevada border region · 16545 days ago · 4 km deep · 46 km away
  46. 3.29 km WNW of Aspen Springs, California · 16545 days ago · 7 km deep · 49 km away
  47. 1.550km NNE of Dixon Lane-Meadow Creek, CA · 16543 days ago · 4 km deep · 60 km away
  48. 1.814km SE of Mammoth Lakes, CA · 16542 days ago · 4 km deep · 53 km away
  49. 1.723km NW of West Bishop, CA · 16542 days ago · 4 km deep · 56 km away
  50. 1.79 km ESE of Mammoth Lakes, California · 16542 days ago · 8 km deep · 44 km away
  51. 1.745km NNE of Dixon Lane-Meadow Creek, CA · 16542 days ago · 4 km deep · 46 km away
  52. 1.69 km ESE of Mammoth Lakes, California · 16542 days ago · 7 km deep · 44 km away
  53. 2.74km ENE of Mammoth Lakes, CA · 16542 days ago · 4 km deep · 43 km away
  54. 2.636km ENE of Mammoth Lakes, CA · 16541 days ago · 4 km deep · 33 km away
  55. 1.954km NNE of Dixon Lane-Meadow Creek, CA · 16541 days ago · 4 km deep · 53 km away
  56. 1.853km WSW of Tonopah, NV · 16541 days ago · 4 km deep · 87 km away
  57. 2.558km ENE of Hawthorne, NV · 16541 days ago · 4 km deep · 97 km away
  58. 2.034km W of Tonopah, NV · 16541 days ago · 4 km deep · 98 km away
  59. 2.262km ENE of Bishop, CA · 16540 days ago · 5 km deep · 93 km away
  60. 1.820km SE of Mammoth Lakes, CA · 16540 days ago · 4 km deep · 53 km away

The first 60 of at least 201.

Before

  1. 2.82 km WSW of Aspen Springs, California · 16565 days ago · 5 km deep · 51 km away
  2. 2.014km SE of Mammoth Lakes, CA · 16565 days ago · 5 km deep · 51 km away
  3. 2.055km SSE of Hawthorne, NV · 16566 days ago · 1 km deep · 29 km away
  4. 2.648km NNE of Mammoth Lakes, CA · 16566 days ago · 4 km deep · 10 km away
  5. 1.72 km SE of Mammoth Lakes, California · 16566 days ago · 5 km deep · 45 km away
  6. 2.021km NW of Dixon Lane-Meadow Creek, CA · 16566 days ago · 4 km deep · 55 km away
  7. 1.811km SE of Bishop, CA · 16567 days ago · 4 km deep · 88 km away
  8. 2.018km ENE of Mammoth Lakes, CA · 16567 days ago · 4 km deep · 36 km away
  9. 2.563km NNE of Dixon Lane-Meadow Creek, CA · 16567 days ago · 4 km deep · 42 km away
  10. 2.89 km W of Aspen Springs, California · 16568 days ago · 4 km deep · 50 km away
  11. 2.061km NNE of Dixon Lane-Meadow Creek, CA · 16569 days ago · 4 km deep · 44 km away
  12. 2.69 km E of Mammoth Lakes, California · 16570 days ago · 4 km deep · 42 km away
  13. 2.615km ESE of Mammoth Lakes, CA · 16570 days ago · 4 km deep · 47 km away
  14. 1.624km NNE of Dixon Lane-Meadow Creek, CA · 16571 days ago · 4 km deep · 62 km away
  15. 3.115 km SW of Aspen Springs, California · 16571 days ago · 9 km deep · 63 km away
  16. 2.521km WNW of West Bishop, CA · 16572 days ago · 4 km deep · 66 km away
  17. 2.665km E of Hawthorne, NV · 16573 days ago · 4 km deep · 99 km away
  18. 2.551km ESE of Hawthorne, NV · 16573 days ago · 4 km deep · 61 km away
  19. 2.321km NE of Oakhurst, CA · 16575 days ago · 6 km deep · 90 km away
  20. 2.720km SE of Mammoth Lakes, CA · 16575 days ago · 5 km deep · 57 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1063948 (also filed as ci516472). Read Wed, Sep 30, 2026, 12:11 AM UTC.