California earthquakes

M2.3 earthquake 4km NE of Carson, CA

A magnitude 2.3 earthquake struck 4km NE of Carson, CA on Wed, Jun 3, 1981, 11:11 PM PDT (06:11 UTC), 18 km (11 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M3.8 28km SSE of Malibu, CA. This one was a foreshock.

West Rancho Dominguez 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
2.3 (mc), micro
Local time
UTC
1981-06-04 06:11:32 UTC
Depth
17.6 km (10.9 mi), shallow
Epicenter
33.863° N, 118.257° 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 1.0 km horizontally, 3.0 km in depth
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
99°
Stations used
23

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 72 in the 60 days after this one and 26 in the 30 days before it.

After

The first 60 of 72.

Before

Earthquakes todayCalifornia earthquakesLive radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event ci517111. Read Wed, Sep 30, 2026, 3:12 PM UTC.