M1.9 earthquake 25 km SE of Big Sur, California

Magnitude

1.9 (Md, duration), micro

Magnitude from

Northern California Seismic System

Local time

Fri, Sep 18, 1981, 1:19 PM PDT

UTC

1981-09-18 20:19:42 UTC

Depth

8.7 km (5.4 mi), shallow

Epicenter

36.122° N, 121.586° W

Region

California

Tsunami flag

No

Status

Reviewed by a seismologist

Location uncertainty

About 0.5 km horizontally, 1.2 km in depth

Magnitude uncertainty

±0.24

Depth from

From location

Station coverage gap

165°

Stations used

30

• Big Sur, CaliforniaPopulation 1,000. Forecast26 kmSE
• Greenfield, CaliforniaPopulation 17,184. Forecast38 kmSW
• Salinas, CaliforniaPopulation 157,380. Forecast62 kmS
• Los Angeles, CaliforniaPopulation 3,820,914. Forecast381 kmNW

After

1. 2.424 km ENE of Soledad, CaliforniaSun, Sep 20, 10:32 AM PDT · 16450 days ago · 3 km deep · 62 km away
2. 3.313 km SSE of Tres Pinos, CaliforniaMon, Sep 21, 5:41 AM PDT · 16449 days ago · 3 km deep · 66 km away
3. 2.121 km NE of Soledad, CaliforniaMon, Sep 21, 6:32 AM PDT · 16449 days ago · 4 km deep · 63 km away
4. 1.926 km SE of Big Sur, CaliforniaMon, Sep 21, 1:07 PM PDT · 16449 days ago · 5 km deep · 1 km away
5. 2.44 km SW of Tres Pinos, CaliforniaTue, Sep 22, 5:09 PM PDT · 16448 days ago · 9 km deep · 74 km away
6. 1.82 km E of Tres Pinos, CaliforniaWed, Sep 23, 1:38 AM PDT · 16447 days ago · 8 km deep · 79 km away
7. 2.330 km ENE of Soledad, CaliforniaWed, Sep 23, 6:47 PM PDT · 16447 days ago · 7 km deep · 70 km away
8. 2.217 km NNW of San Simeon, CaliforniaThu, Sep 24, 2:29 AM PDT · 16446 days ago · 4 km deep · 46 km away
9. 1.923 km ENE of Soledad, CaliforniaThu, Sep 24, 6:39 AM PDT · 16446 days ago · 3 km deep · 62 km away
10. 3.23 km S of San Juan Bautista, CaliforniaThu, Sep 24, 7:00 AM PDT · 16446 days ago · 8 km deep · 77 km away
11. 3.13 km S of San Juan Bautista, CaliforniaThu, Sep 24, 2:44 PM PDT · 16446 days ago · 7 km deep · 77 km away
12. 1.64 km S of San Juan Bautista, CaliforniaThu, Sep 24, 3:20 PM PDT · 16446 days ago · 7 km deep · 76 km away
13. 1.9Central CaliforniaThu, Sep 24, 7:30 PM PDT · 16445 days ago · 2 km deep · 84 km away
14. 1.725 km WSW of Coalinga, CaliforniaFri, Sep 25, 9:43 AM PDT · 16445 days ago · 2 km deep · 87 km away
15. 2.123 km NE of San Lucas, CaliforniaFri, Sep 25, 12:42 PM PDT · 16445 days ago · 7 km deep · 71 km away
16. 1.84 km SW of Tres Pinos, CaliforniaFri, Sep 25, 5:22 PM PDT · 16445 days ago · 8 km deep · 74 km away
17. 2.118 km SSE of Tres Pinos, CaliforniaSat, Sep 26, 12:01 PM PDT · 16444 days ago · 5 km deep · 65 km away
18. 1.75 km SSW of Gilroy, CaliforniaSat, Sep 26, 4:06 PM PDT · 16444 days ago · 4 km deep · 93 km away
19. 1.927 km ENE of King City, CaliforniaSun, Sep 27, 1:01 AM PDT · 16443 days ago · 9 km deep · 69 km away
20. 2.123 km NE of Soledad, CaliforniaSun, Sep 27, 8:07 AM PDT · 16443 days ago · 9 km deep · 64 km away
21. 3.131 km NE of Soledad, CaliforniaSun, Sep 27, 10:02 PM PDT · 16442 days ago · 8 km deep · 72 km away
22. 1.67 km SSE of Gilroy, CaliforniaSun, Sep 27, 11:59 PM PDT · 16442 days ago · 5 km deep · 92 km away
23. 4.03 km S of San Juan Bautista, CaliforniaMon, Sep 28, 12:34 AM PDT · 16442 days ago · 9 km deep · 77 km away
24. 1.812 km ESE of Tres Pinos, CaliforniaMon, Sep 28, 9:02 AM PDT · 16442 days ago · 10 km deep · 76 km away
25. 2.44 km S of San Juan Bautista, CaliforniaMon, Sep 28, 10:54 AM PDT · 16442 days ago · 9 km deep · 76 km away
26. 1.54 km S of San Juan Bautista, CaliforniaMon, Sep 28, 11:46 AM PDT · 16442 days ago · 8 km deep · 76 km away
27. 2.34 km S of San Juan Bautista, CaliforniaMon, Sep 28, 11:51 AM PDT · 16442 days ago · 7 km deep · 76 km away
28. 2.54 km SSE of San Juan Bautista, CaliforniaMon, Sep 28, 3:02 PM PDT · 16442 days ago · 7 km deep · 76 km away
29. 2.44 km SSE of San Juan Bautista, CaliforniaMon, Sep 28, 3:10 PM PDT · 16442 days ago · 7 km deep · 76 km away
30. 1.810 km NNE of Cayucos, CaliforniaMon, Sep 28, 7:25 PM PDT · 16441 days ago · 5 km deep · 94 km away
31. 2.13 km SSW of San Juan Bautista, CaliforniaTue, Sep 29, 4:18 AM PDT · 16441 days ago · 7 km deep · 77 km away
32. 2.74 km S of San Juan Bautista, CaliforniaTue, Sep 29, 2:32 PM PDT · 16441 days ago · 7 km deep · 76 km away
33. 1.623 km NE of San Lucas, CaliforniaWed, Sep 30, 6:04 AM PDT · 16440 days ago · 5 km deep · 68 km away
34. 2.514 km SSW of Lockwood, CaliforniaWed, Sep 30, 2:13 PM PDT · 16440 days ago · 6 km deep · 53 km away
35. 3.222 km NE of Soledad, CaliforniaThu, Oct 1, 12:22 PM PDT · 16439 days ago · 7 km deep · 63 km away
36. 1.921 km NE of Soledad, CaliforniaThu, Oct 1, 3:13 PM PDT · 16439 days ago · 6 km deep · 63 km away
37. 1.813 km S of Tres Pinos, CaliforniaThu, Oct 1, 4:31 PM PDT · 16439 days ago · 3 km deep · 66 km away
38. 1.621 km NW of Parkfield, CaliforniaFri, Oct 2, 9:21 AM PDT · 16438 days ago · 2 km deep · 89 km away
39. 1.921 km NE of Soledad, CaliforniaSun, Oct 4, 8:41 AM PDT · 16436 days ago · 6 km deep · 63 km away
40. 2.33 km S of San Juan Bautista, CaliforniaMon, Oct 5, 9:53 AM PDT · 16435 days ago · 7 km deep · 77 km away
41. 2.010 km SW of Ridgemark, CaliforniaMon, Oct 5, 2:36 PM PDT · 16435 days ago · 10 km deep · 71 km away
42. 1.56 km WSW of Paso Robles, CaliforniaTue, Oct 6, 5:33 AM PDT · 16434 days ago · 5 km deep · 94 km away
43. 2.123 km ENE of Soledad, CaliforniaTue, Oct 6, 5:39 AM PDT · 16434 days ago · 5 km deep · 62 km away
44. 2.227 km E of Tres Pinos, CaliforniaWed, Oct 7, 2:17 AM PDT · 16433 days ago · 3 km deep · 86 km away
45. 1.94 km SSE of San Juan Bautista, CaliforniaWed, Oct 7, 4:39 PM PDT · 16433 days ago · 7 km deep · 76 km away
46. 1.621 km NE of Soledad, CaliforniaWed, Oct 7, 9:13 PM PDT · 16432 days ago · 3 km deep · 63 km away
47. 1.57 km WSW of Ridgemark, CaliforniaThu, Oct 8, 2:29 AM PDT · 16432 days ago · 9 km deep · 76 km away
48. 1.67 km WSW of Ridgemark, CaliforniaThu, Oct 8, 2:37 AM PDT · 16432 days ago · 9 km deep · 76 km away
49. 1.625 km NE of Greenfield, CaliforniaThu, Oct 8, 7:58 AM PDT · 16432 days ago · 1 km deep · 63 km away
50. 1.66 km SW of Gilroy, CaliforniaThu, Oct 8, 10:14 AM PDT · 16432 days ago · 5 km deep · 95 km away
51. 2.013 km S of Tres Pinos, CaliforniaThu, Oct 8, 12:09 PM PDT · 16432 days ago · 2 km deep · 66 km away
52. 2.07 km WSW of Ridgemark, CaliforniaThu, Oct 8, 6:10 PM PDT · 16432 days ago · 9 km deep · 76 km away
53. 1.923 km NE of King City, CaliforniaFri, Oct 9, 6:55 AM PDT · 16431 days ago · 4 km deep · 64 km away
54. 1.732 km W of Three Rocks, CaliforniaSat, Oct 10, 2:57 PM PDT · 16430 days ago · 12 km deep · 89 km away
55. 2.1Central CaliforniaSun, Oct 11, 12:40 AM PDT · 16429 days ago · 11 km deep · 95 km away
56. 1.68 km W of Oak Shores, CaliforniaMon, Oct 12, 12:28 PM PDT · 16428 days ago · 7 km deep · 60 km away
57. 2.87 km WSW of Ridgemark, CaliforniaTue, Oct 13, 12:48 PM PDT · 16427 days ago · 9 km deep · 76 km away
58. 1.822 km ENE of San Ardo, CaliforniaTue, Oct 13, 6:59 PM PDT · 16427 days ago · 2 km deep · 82 km away
59. 1.79 km NNW of Hollister, CaliforniaWed, Oct 14, 2:31 PM PDT · 16426 days ago · 10 km deep · 90 km away
60. 1.610 km ESE of Gilroy, CaliforniaWed, Oct 14, 10:54 PM PDT · 16425 days ago · 5 km deep · 95 km away

The first 60 of 120.

Before

1. 1.825 km NW of San Simeon, CaliforniaFri, Sep 18, 7:45 AM PDT · 16452 days ago · 12 km deep · 39 km away
2. 1.511 km SSE of Tres Pinos, CaliforniaFri, Sep 18, 7:20 AM PDT · 16452 days ago · 16 km deep · 69 km away
3. 1.638 km W of Three Rocks, CaliforniaThu, Sep 17, 9:42 PM PDT · 16452 days ago · 4 km deep · 84 km away
4. 1.69 km SSW of Tres Pinos, CaliforniaThu, Sep 17, 8:48 AM PDT · 16453 days ago · 2 km deep · 68 km away
5. 2.54 km SW of Tres Pinos, CaliforniaThu, Sep 17, 6:16 AM PDT · 16453 days ago · 9 km deep · 74 km away
6. 1.514 km NW of San Simeon, CaliforniaThu, Sep 17, 1:39 AM PDT · 16453 days ago · 8 km deep · 49 km away
7. 2.718 km NNW of San Simeon, CaliforniaWed, Sep 16, 9:47 PM PDT · 16453 days ago · 6 km deep · 46 km away
8. 1.8Near the coast of Central CaliforniaWed, Sep 16, 8:37 PM PDT · 16453 days ago · 6 km deep · 70 km away
9. 2.7Near the coast of Central CaliforniaWed, Sep 16, 8:20 PM PDT · 16453 days ago · 10 km deep · 46 km away
10. 3.117 km NNW of San Simeon, CaliforniaWed, Sep 16, 7:59 PM PDT · 16453 days ago · 7 km deep · 46 km away
11. 2.015 km NW of Parkfield, CaliforniaTue, Sep 15, 11:35 AM PDT · 16455 days ago · 4 km deep · 93 km away
12. 1.65 km SW of Ridgemark, CaliforniaMon, Sep 14, 10:43 AM PDT · 16456 days ago · 9 km deep · 75 km away
13. 2.113 km S of Tres Pinos, CaliforniaMon, Sep 14, 4:10 AM PDT · 16456 days ago · 3 km deep · 67 km away
14. 3.313 km S of Tres Pinos, CaliforniaMon, Sep 14, 1:19 AM PDT · 16456 days ago · 4 km deep · 67 km away
15. 2.742 km W of Lockwood, CaliforniaSun, Sep 13, 5:56 PM PDT · 16457 days ago · 10 km deep · 25 km away
16. 2.67 km W of Gilroy, CaliforniaSun, Sep 13, 6:16 AM PDT · 16457 days ago · 4 km deep · 97 km away
17. 1.77 km ESE of Prunedale, CaliforniaSun, Sep 13, 4:18 AM PDT · 16457 days ago · 8 km deep · 71 km away
18. 1.638 km W of Lockwood, CaliforniaSat, Sep 12, 11:30 PM PDT · 16457 days ago · 5 km deep · 21 km away
19. 1.940 km W of Lockwood, CaliforniaSat, Sep 12, 9:15 PM PDT · 16457 days ago · 13 km deep · 25 km away
20. 1.840 km W of Lockwood, CaliforniaSat, Sep 12, 9:12 PM PDT · 16457 days ago · 6 km deep · 22 km away

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1067772. Read Sun, Oct 4, 2026, 1:50 PM UTC.