California earthquakes

M1.5 earthquake 2km SSW of Brawley, CA

A magnitude 1.5 earthquake struck 2km SSW of Brawley, CA on Sun, Aug 9, 1981, 6:31 PM PDT (01:31 UTC), 15 km (9 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M4.0 8km NE of Julian, CA. This one was a foreshock.

Brawley 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
1.5 (mh), micro
Local time
UTC
1981-08-10 01:31:11 UTC
Depth
14.8 km (9.2 mi), shallow
Epicenter
32.959° N, 115.538° 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, 2.3 km in depth
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
70°
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: 169 in the 60 days after this one and 73 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 1.73km SSW of Brawley, CA · 16486 days ago · 12 km deep · 1 km away
  2. 1.68km SW of Salton City, CA · 16486 days ago · 3 km deep · 55 km away
  3. 1.914km W of El Centro, CA · 16486 days ago · 14 km deep · 26 km away
  4. 1.811km ENE of Julian, CA · 16485 days ago · 12 km deep · 91 km away
  5. 2.316km ESE of Campo, CA · 16484 days ago · 2 km deep · 85 km away
  6. 1.512km S of Salton City, CA · 16483 days ago · 8 km deep · 45 km away
  7. 1.634km NNE of North Shore, CA · 16482 days ago · 3 km deep · 96 km away
  8. 1.712km SE of Puebla, B.C., MX · 16482 days ago · 6 km deep · 58 km away
  9. 1.54km SSW of Salton City, CA · 16481 days ago · 5 km deep · 53 km away
  10. 1.735km NNE of North Shore, CA · 16481 days ago · 3 km deep · 97 km away
  11. 1.815km S of Salton City, CA · 16481 days ago · 12 km deep · 44 km away
  12. 2.014km N of Borrego Springs, CA · 16481 days ago · 3 km deep · 92 km away
  13. 1.715km N of Borrego Springs, CA · 16481 days ago · 3 km deep · 92 km away
  14. 1.515km N of Borrego Springs, CA · 16479 days ago · 3 km deep · 91 km away
  15. 1.715km N of Borrego Springs, CA · 16479 days ago · 3 km deep · 92 km away
  16. 1.64km NNW of Westmorland, CA · 16479 days ago · 11 km deep · 16 km away
  17. 1.617km ESE of Campo, CA · 16479 days ago · 7 km deep · 86 km away
  18. 1.514km N of Borrego Springs, CA · 16478 days ago · 14 km deep · 92 km away
  19. 2.514km N of Borrego Springs, CA · 16478 days ago · 12 km deep · 91 km away
  20. 2.44km SE of Westmorland, CA · 16478 days ago · 5 km deep · 8 km away
  21. 1.523km ESE of Ocotillo Wells, CA · 16476 days ago · 4 km deep · 36 km away
  22. 2.04km WSW of Brawley, CA · 16475 days ago · 5 km deep · 3 km away
  23. 1.54km ENE of Ocotillo Wells, CA · 16475 days ago · 11 km deep · 56 km away
  24. 1.96km SSW of Salton City, CA · 16474 days ago · 3 km deep · 52 km away
  25. 1.67km N of Imperial, CA · 16474 days ago · 12 km deep · 6 km away
  26. 1.834km NNE of North Shore, CA · 16474 days ago · 3 km deep · 96 km away
  27. 1.56km SSW of Salton City, CA · 16474 days ago · 1 km deep · 53 km away
  28. 2.110km NNE of Borrego Springs, CA · 16474 days ago · 13 km deep · 85 km away
  29. 2.46km SSW of Salton City, CA · 16474 days ago · 3 km deep · 51 km away
  30. 2.04km SSW of Salton City, CA · 16474 days ago · 5 km deep · 53 km away
  31. 1.76km SSW of Salton City, CA · 16473 days ago · 1 km deep · 52 km away
  32. 1.66km SSW of Salton City, CA · 16473 days ago · 1 km deep · 52 km away
  33. 1.834km NNE of North Shore, CA · 16472 days ago · 5 km deep · 97 km away
  34. 1.613km ESE of North Shore, CA · 16471 days ago · 8 km deep · 63 km away
  35. 1.76km SW of Salton City, CA · 16471 days ago · 4 km deep · 54 km away
  36. 2.07km SSW of Salton City, CA · 16471 days ago · 3 km deep · 52 km away
  37. 2.76km SSW of Salton City, CA · 16471 days ago · 3 km deep · 52 km away
  38. 1.66km S of Salton City, CA · 16471 days ago · 3 km deep · 51 km away
  39. 1.533km NNE of North Shore, CA · 16470 days ago · 4 km deep · 96 km away
  40. 1.534km NNE of North Shore, CA · 16470 days ago · 5 km deep · 96 km away
  41. 1.82km NE of Ocotillo Wells, CA · 16470 days ago · 9 km deep · 58 km away
  42. 1.734km NNE of North Shore, CA · 16470 days ago · 2 km deep · 96 km away
  43. 1.99km ENE of Calexico, CA · 16469 days ago · 17 km deep · 28 km away
  44. 1.78km SSW of Salton City, CA · 16469 days ago · 3 km deep · 50 km away
  45. 3.28km SSE of Bombay Beach, CA · 16469 days ago · 12 km deep · 39 km away
  46. 2.58km SSE of Bombay Beach, CA · 16469 days ago · 4 km deep · 39 km away
  47. 1.79km SE of Bombay Beach, CA · 16469 days ago · 4 km deep · 38 km away
  48. 2.18km SE of Bombay Beach, CA · 16469 days ago · 1 km deep · 39 km away
  49. 2.08km SSE of Bombay Beach, CA · 16469 days ago · 0 km deep · 39 km away
  50. 2.27km SSW of Salton City, CA · 16469 days ago · 3 km deep · 51 km away
  51. 2.26km SSW of Salton City, CA · 16469 days ago · 4 km deep · 52 km away
  52. 2.57km SSW of Salton City, CA · 16469 days ago · 3 km deep · 51 km away
  53. 2.47km S of Salton City, CA · 16469 days ago · 3 km deep · 51 km away
  54. 1.76km SSW of Salton City, CA · 16469 days ago · 3 km deep · 51 km away
  55. 2.326km WSW of Westmorland, CA · 16468 days ago · 11 km deep · 32 km away
  56. 2.010km SSE of Bombay Beach, CA · 16468 days ago · 4 km deep · 38 km away
  57. 1.510km E of Puebla, B.C., MX · 16468 days ago · 6 km deep · 51 km away
  58. 2.56km SSW of Salton City, CA · 16467 days ago · 5 km deep · 51 km away
  59. 1.57km SSW of Salton City, CA · 16467 days ago · 5 km deep · 51 km away
  60. 1.58km S of Salton City, CA · 16467 days ago · 4 km deep · 49 km away

The first 60 of 169.

Before

  1. 3.013km WSW of Imperial, CA · 16488 days ago · 22 km deep · 22 km away
  2. 1.716km W of Alberto Oviedo Mota, B.C., MX · 16489 days ago · 6 km deep · 81 km away
  3. 1.813km NNE of Pine Valley, CA · 16490 days ago · 1 km deep · 87 km away
  4. 1.510km NNE of Julian, CA · 16491 days ago · 15 km deep · 97 km away
  5. 1.713km SW of Westmorland, CA · 16491 days ago · 3 km deep · 18 km away
  6. 1.626km NE of Thermal, CA · 16492 days ago · 0 km deep · 99 km away
  7. 2.011km NNE of Julian, CA · 16492 days ago · 11 km deep · 98 km away
  8. 1.810km NNE of Borrego Springs, CA · 16492 days ago · 13 km deep · 86 km away
  9. 1.825km NW of Desert Center, CA · 16492 days ago · 5 km deep · 100 km away
  10. 1.912km N of Delta, B.C., MX · 16494 days ago · 6 km deep · 65 km away
  11. 1.94km NNW of Guadalupe Victoria, B.C., MX · 16494 days ago · 6 km deep · 81 km away
  12. 1.534km NNE of North Shore, CA · 16494 days ago · 4 km deep · 96 km away
  13. 1.634km NNE of North Shore, CA · 16495 days ago · 1 km deep · 97 km away
  14. 1.612km SW of Westmorland, CA · 16495 days ago · 10 km deep · 17 km away
  15. 1.734km NNE of North Shore, CA · 16496 days ago · 4 km deep · 96 km away
  16. 1.56km S of Salton City, CA · 16496 days ago · 3 km deep · 51 km away
  17. 1.54km WNW of Guadalupe Victoria, B.C., MX · 16497 days ago · 6 km deep · 82 km away
  18. 1.54km WSW of Ocotillo Wells, CA · 16497 days ago · 6 km deep · 63 km away
  19. 2.05km WSW of Ocotillo Wells, CA · 16497 days ago · 6 km deep · 63 km away
  20. 1.911km NE of Julian, CA · 16498 days ago · 9 km deep · 94 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event ci520864. Read Tue, Sep 29, 2026, 8:41 PM UTC.