M3.1 earthquake 10km N of Cabazon, CA

A magnitude 3.1 earthquake struck 10km N of Cabazon, CA on Wed, Dec 23, 1981, 6:22 PM PST (02:22 UTC), 18 km (11 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M3.1 4km WSW of San Bernardino, CA. This one was a foreshock.

Map

Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

Different scales measure different things and differ by a few tenths. The USGS marks one as preferred, and it is the one this page uses.

Mag.	Scale	Computed by	Notes
3.08	ML, local (Richter)	Southern California Seismic Network	Preferred · Final · ±0.161 · 8 stations
3.0	ML, local (Richter)	USGS National Earthquake Information Center	Reviewed

No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.

Reviewed by a seismologist.

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

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 145 in the 60 days after this one and 55 in the 30 days before it.

The first 60 of 145.

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event ci103846 (also filed as usp0001hmh). Read Sat, Oct 3, 2026, 10:58 AM UTC.