California earthquakes

M1.8 earthquake Central California

A magnitude 1.8 earthquake struck in Central California on Mon, Mar 23, 1981, 1:49 PM PST (21:49 UTC), 11 km (7 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M3.1 12 km W of Oak Shores, California. This one was a foreshock.

Coalinga forecastMore in California

Map

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

Open the live map with earthquakes

The earthquake

Magnitude
1.8 (md), micro
Local time
UTC
1981-03-23 21:49:01 UTC
Depth
10.9 km (6.7 mi), shallow
Epicenter
36.205° N, 120.287° 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 0.6 km horizontally, 0.4 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.13
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
221°, poorly surrounded by stations
Stations used
22

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 94 in the 60 days after this one and 34 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 2.025 km NE of Soledad, California · 16624 days ago · 10 km deep · 85 km away
  2. 1.60 km SW of Parkfield, California · 16624 days ago · 10 km deep · 37 km away
  3. 2.14 km SW of Avenal, California · 16622 days ago · 17 km deep · 28 km away
  4. 2.03 km SW of Avenal, California · 16622 days ago · 17 km deep · 28 km away
  5. 1.524 km NNE of King City, California · 16622 days ago · 7 km deep · 66 km away
  6. 1.732 km NE of San Lucas, California · 16621 days ago · 8 km deep · 44 km away
  7. 2.824 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16621 days ago · 6 km deep · 74 km away
  8. 2.519 km NNW of San Simeon, California · 16621 days ago · 5 km deep · 99 km away
  9. 1.921 km NE of Soledad, California · 16620 days ago · 6 km deep · 84 km away
  10. 1.822 km NE of San Ardo, California · 16620 days ago · 3 km deep · 42 km away
  11. 2.519 km NNW of San Simeon, California · 16620 days ago · 5 km deep · 97 km away
  12. 2.224 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16618 days ago · 7 km deep · 67 km away
  13. 1.525 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16617 days ago · 6 km deep · 72 km away
  14. 1.724 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16617 days ago · 6 km deep · 75 km away
  15. 1.65 km SSE of Parkfield, California · 16616 days ago · 5 km deep · 40 km away
  16. 2.124 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16616 days ago · 6 km deep · 75 km away
  17. 1.98 km WSW of Templeton, California · 16613 days ago · 4 km deep · 89 km away
  18. 2.123 km ENE of San Lucas, California · 16613 days ago · 6 km deep · 46 km away
  19. 2.25 km SSE of Parkfield, California · 16613 days ago · 5 km deep · 40 km away
  20. 2.36 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16613 days ago · 5 km deep · 35 km away
  21. 2.311 km NNE of Avenal, California · 16612 days ago · 0 km deep · 22 km away
  22. 3.08 km NNE of Avenal, California · 16612 days ago · 8 km deep · 22 km away
  23. 1.811 km NNE of Avenal, California · 16612 days ago · 0 km deep · 23 km away
  24. 1.923 km NNE of San Lucas, California · 16612 days ago · 9 km deep · 55 km away
  25. 1.624 km NNE of San Lucas, California · 16612 days ago · 9 km deep · 55 km away
  26. 1.58 km N of Avenal, California · 16612 days ago · 4 km deep · 21 km away
  27. 1.521 km SSW of Kettleman City, California · 16610 days ago · 2 km deep · 48 km away
  28. 2.39km SSE of Kettleman City, CA · 16610 days ago · 5 km deep · 45 km away
  29. 2.07 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16608 days ago · 10 km deep · 34 km away
  30. 2.124 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16605 days ago · 8 km deep · 80 km away
  31. 1.725 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16605 days ago · 8 km deep · 80 km away
  32. 2.319km SSE of Kettleman City, CA · 16605 days ago · 5 km deep · 55 km away
  33. 1.622 km S of Avenal, California · 16604 days ago · 9 km deep · 47 km away
  34. 1.815 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16603 days ago · 5 km deep · 33 km away
  35. 1.624 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16600 days ago · 6 km deep · 70 km away
  36. 1.521 km ESE of Shandon, California · 16600 days ago · 11 km deep · 70 km away
  37. 1.722 km ESE of Shandon, California · 16600 days ago · 11 km deep · 71 km away
  38. 1.524 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16600 days ago · 4 km deep · 70 km away
  39. 1.623 km ENE of King City, California · 16599 days ago · 9 km deep · 57 km away
  40. 1.824 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16598 days ago · 5 km deep · 73 km away
  41. 1.724 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16596 days ago · 5 km deep · 76 km away
  42. 1.813 km W of Oak Shores, California · 16596 days ago · 5 km deep · 89 km away
  43. 1.523 km ENE of San Ardo, California · 16595 days ago · 7 km deep · 36 km away
  44. 1.82 km ESE of San Ardo, California · 16595 days ago · 11 km deep · 57 km away
  45. 2.426 km NE of King City, California · 16593 days ago · 6 km deep · 62 km away
  46. 1.626 km NE of King City, California · 16593 days ago · 4 km deep · 62 km away
  47. 1.613 km SE of Parkfield, California · 16593 days ago · 4 km deep · 45 km away
  48. 1.912 km NE of Coalinga, California · 16593 days ago · 8 km deep · 3 km away
  49. 3.112 km W of Oak Shores, California · 16592 days ago · 5 km deep · 89 km away
  50. 1.730 km NE of San Lucas, California · 16592 days ago · 9 km deep · 46 km away
  51. 2.023 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16592 days ago · 3 km deep · 34 km away
  52. 2.726 km SE of Tres Pinos, California · 16591 days ago · 10 km deep · 87 km away
  53. 2.424 km NE of Soledad, California · 16591 days ago · 4 km deep · 86 km away
  54. 2.110 km W of Huron, California · 16588 days ago · 8 km deep · 6 km away
  55. 2.025 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16588 days ago · 5 km deep · 70 km away
  56. 1.614 km SE of Parkfield, California · 16587 days ago · 9 km deep · 46 km away
  57. 1.524 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16585 days ago · 6 km deep · 67 km away
  58. 1.723 km NNE of San Lucas, California · 16584 days ago · 5 km deep · 56 km away
  59. 2.821 km SE of Tres Pinos, California · 16583 days ago · 8 km deep · 93 km away
  60. 1.721 km SE of Tres Pinos, California · 16583 days ago · 7 km deep · 94 km away

The first 60 of 94.

Before

  1. 1.521 km NE of Soledad, California · 16625 days ago · 6 km deep · 91 km away
  2. 1.817 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16626 days ago · 6 km deep · 98 km away
  3. 1.627 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16627 days ago · 8 km deep · 79 km away
  4. 1.714 km SE of Tres Pinos, California · 16628 days ago · 4 km deep · 98 km away
  5. 2.123 km NE of San Ardo, California · 16629 days ago · 7 km deep · 42 km away
  6. 1.722 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16629 days ago · 4 km deep · 80 km away
  7. 1.624 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16631 days ago · 4 km deep · 71 km away
  8. 1.723 km NNE of San Lucas, California · 16633 days ago · 8 km deep · 55 km away
  9. 1.824 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16634 days ago · 4 km deep · 71 km away
  10. 2.122 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16638 days ago · 6 km deep · 33 km away
  11. 1.719 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16639 days ago · 7 km deep · 98 km away
  12. 1.824 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16640 days ago · 7 km deep · 75 km away
  13. 2.522 km NE of Soledad, California · 16641 days ago · 4 km deep · 91 km away
  14. 1.523 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16643 days ago · 4 km deep · 79 km away
  15. 1.824 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16644 days ago · 1 km deep · 73 km away
  16. 2.120 km SSE of Avenal, California · 16646 days ago · 13 km deep · 46 km away
  17. 2.021 km S of Avenal, California · 16646 days ago · 11 km deep · 46 km away
  18. 1.620 km SSE of Avenal, California · 16646 days ago · 12 km deep · 46 km away
  19. 2.127 km NE of Soledad, California · 16646 days ago · 6 km deep · 82 km away
  20. 2.79 km W of Huron, California · 16647 days ago · 5 km deep · 7 km away

Earthquakes todayCalifornia earthquakesLive radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1061628. Read Mon, Sep 28, 2026, 3:34 PM UTC.