California earthquakes

M1.6 earthquake 38 km SE of Big Sur, California

A magnitude 1.6 earthquake struck 38 km SE of Big Sur, California on Tue, Feb 10, 1981, 10:27 AM PST (18:27 UTC), 3 km (2 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M2.5 21 km NE of Soledad, California. This one was a foreshock.

Big Sur 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
1.6 (md), micro
Local time
UTC
1981-02-10 18:27:27 UTC
Depth
3.3 km (2.1 mi), shallow
Epicenter
35.982° N, 121.566° 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, 1.5 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.14
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
223°, poorly surrounded by stations
Stations used
11

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 118 in the 60 days after this one and 76 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 2.521 km NE of Soledad, California · 16659 days ago · 3 km deep · 75 km away
  2. 3.316 km NNW of San Simeon, California · 16658 days ago · 3 km deep · 35 km away
  3. 2.121 km NE of Soledad, California · 16658 days ago · 3 km deep · 75 km away
  4. 2.224 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16658 days ago · 8 km deep · 72 km away
  5. 1.512 km NE of San Miguel, California · 16658 days ago · 8 km deep · 90 km away
  6. 1.622 km NE of Soledad, California · 16657 days ago · 6 km deep · 76 km away
  7. 1.622 km NNE of Soledad, California · 16657 days ago · 4 km deep · 77 km away
  8. 1.613 km SE of Tres Pinos, California · 16657 days ago · 3 km deep · 87 km away
  9. 2.013 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 16657 days ago · 4 km deep · 80 km away
  10. 1.825 km NE of King City, California · 16657 days ago · 0 km deep · 71 km away
  11. 1.633 km NW of San Simeon, California · 16656 days ago · 8 km deep · 18 km away
  12. 1.816 km N of San Simeon, California · 16656 days ago · 6 km deep · 38 km away
  13. 1.722 km NE of San Ardo, California · 16655 days ago · 9 km deep · 77 km away
  14. 1.523 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16654 days ago · 6 km deep · 72 km away
  15. 2.022 km NNE of Soledad, California · 16654 days ago · 2 km deep · 76 km away
  16. 1.620 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16654 days ago · 4 km deep · 88 km away
  17. 1.623 km ENE of San Lucas, California · 16653 days ago · 6 km deep · 75 km away
  18. 1.75 km WNW of San Juan Bautista, California · 16653 days ago · 5 km deep · 98 km away
  19. 1.824 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16653 days ago · 7 km deep · 71 km away
  20. 1.63 km S of San Juan Bautista, California · 16653 days ago · 6 km deep · 93 km away
  21. 1.59 km SSW of Tres Pinos, California · 16652 days ago · 3 km deep · 83 km away
  22. 1.825 km NE of King City, California · 16651 days ago · 8 km deep · 71 km away
  23. 1.621 km NE of Soledad, California · 16650 days ago · 7 km deep · 74 km away
  24. 1.74 km SSE of San Juan Bautista, California · 16649 days ago · 5 km deep · 92 km away
  25. 2.12 km ESE of Aromas, California · 16649 days ago · 7 km deep · 100 km away
  26. 1.78 km SSW of Tres Pinos, California · 16649 days ago · 3 km deep · 84 km away
  27. 1.726 km NE of Soledad, California · 16649 days ago · 8 km deep · 78 km away
  28. 2.52 km ESE of Aromas, California · 16649 days ago · 7 km deep · 100 km away
  29. 2.22 km ESE of Aromas, California · 16649 days ago · 7 km deep · 100 km away
  30. 2.11 km SSW of Tres Pinos, California · 16648 days ago · 6 km deep · 91 km away
  31. 2.52 km ESE of Aromas, California · 16648 days ago · 7 km deep · 100 km away
  32. 1.711 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16648 days ago · 18 km deep · 83 km away
  33. 2.43 km ESE of Aromas, California · 16648 days ago · 7 km deep · 100 km away
  34. 1.66 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16648 days ago · 10 km deep · 97 km away
  35. 1.59 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 16648 days ago · 4 km deep · 83 km away
  36. 1.52 km S of San Juan Bautista, California · 16647 days ago · 3 km deep · 93 km away
  37. 1.92 km ESE of Aromas, California · 16646 days ago · 6 km deep · 100 km away
  38. 2.53 km ESE of Aromas, CA · 16646 days ago · 7 km deep · 100 km away
  39. 1.5Central California · 16646 days ago · 7 km deep · 100 km away
  40. 1.52 km ESE of Aromas, California · 16646 days ago · 6 km deep · 100 km away
  41. 2.33 km ESE of Aromas, California · 16645 days ago · 7 km deep · 99 km away
  42. 1.621 km NE of Soledad, California · 16645 days ago · 3 km deep · 74 km away
  43. 3.617 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16645 days ago · 5 km deep · 90 km away
  44. 1.53 km ENE of Tres Pinos, California · 16645 days ago · 10 km deep · 95 km away
  45. 1.524 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16644 days ago · 6 km deep · 71 km away
  46. 1.820 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16644 days ago · 4 km deep · 77 km away
  47. 1.813 km NW of Pacific Grove, California · 16643 days ago · 8 km deep · 89 km away
  48. 1.54 km W of Gonzales, California · 16642 days ago · 7 km deep · 58 km away
  49. 1.623 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16642 days ago · 4 km deep · 72 km away
  50. 1.612 km SW of Tres Pinos, California · 16641 days ago · 10 km deep · 81 km away
  51. 2.723 km NE of San Ardo, California · 16641 days ago · 8 km deep · 78 km away
  52. 2.127 km NE of Soledad, California · 16640 days ago · 6 km deep · 79 km away
  53. 2.321 km WSW of Los Osos, California · 16640 days ago · 6 km deep · 93 km away
  54. 1.824 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16637 days ago · 1 km deep · 72 km away
  55. 1.523 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16637 days ago · 4 km deep · 72 km away
  56. 1.915 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16636 days ago · 3 km deep · 79 km away
  57. 2.522 km NE of Soledad, California · 16635 days ago · 4 km deep · 75 km away
  58. 1.824 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16634 days ago · 7 km deep · 72 km away
  59. 2.112 km SSW of San Simeon, California · 16634 days ago · 3 km deep · 59 km away
  60. 1.719 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16632 days ago · 7 km deep · 77 km away

The first 60 of 118.

Before

  1. 1.78 km N of Pacific Grove, California · 16661 days ago · 5 km deep · 85 km away
  2. 1.612 km E of Big Sur, California · 16661 days ago · 7 km deep · 31 km away
  3. 2.014 km W of Oak Shores, California · 16661 days ago · 5 km deep · 44 km away
  4. 1.921 km NE of Soledad, California · 16662 days ago · 4 km deep · 74 km away
  5. 1.71 km E of San Ardo, California · 16662 days ago · 9 km deep · 61 km away
  6. 2.726 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16663 days ago · 9 km deep · 74 km away
  7. 2.322 km ENE of San Ardo, California · 16663 days ago · 5 km deep · 80 km away
  8. 2.022 km ENE of San Ardo, California · 16663 days ago · 5 km deep · 80 km away
  9. 1.84 km SE of Aromas, California · 16663 days ago · 7 km deep · 98 km away
  10. 2.324 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16664 days ago · 1 km deep · 72 km away
  11. 1.814 km W of Coalinga, California · 16665 days ago · 2 km deep · 95 km away
  12. 1.63 km WNW of San Juan Bautista, California · 16665 days ago · 1 km deep · 97 km away
  13. 2.313 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 16665 days ago · 5 km deep · 80 km away
  14. 1.715 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16665 days ago · 3 km deep · 79 km away
  15. 2.75 km ESE of Aromas, California · 16666 days ago · 6 km deep · 98 km away
  16. 1.83 km SE of San Ardo, California · 16666 days ago · 10 km deep · 62 km away
  17. 2.224 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16667 days ago · 5 km deep · 70 km away
  18. 2.536 km NE of King City, California · 16667 days ago · 13 km deep · 83 km away
  19. 2.04 km ESE of Aromas, California · 16668 days ago · 6 km deep · 98 km away
  20. 2.423 km NE of Soledad, California · 16668 days ago · 8 km deep · 75 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1060220. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 11:02 AM UTC.