California earthquakes

M1.6 earthquake Central California

A magnitude 1.6 earthquake struck in Central California on Sun, Mar 29, 1981, 11:46 AM PST (19:46 UTC), 4 km (2 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M2.2 24 km ENE of Greenfield, California. This one was a foreshock.

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Map

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

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The earthquake

Magnitude
1.6 (md), micro
Local time
UTC
1981-03-29 19:46:33 UTC
Depth
3.9 km (2.4 mi), shallow
Epicenter
36.151° N, 121.559° 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, 1.1 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.35
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
147°
Stations used
12

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 121 in the 60 days after this one and 56 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 2.224 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16613 days ago · 7 km deep · 58 km away
  2. 1.525 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16612 days ago · 6 km deep · 59 km away
  3. 2.112 km NNW of Hollister, California · 16612 days ago · 4 km deep · 90 km away
  4. 1.724 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16611 days ago · 6 km deep · 58 km away
  5. 1.70 km WNW of Hollister, California · 16611 days ago · 8 km deep · 79 km away
  6. 2.124 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16611 days ago · 6 km deep · 58 km away
  7. 2.07 km SSW of Tres Pinos, California · 16610 days ago · 3 km deep · 66 km away
  8. 1.63 km WSW of Hollister, California · 16610 days ago · 7 km deep · 78 km away
  9. 2.110 km SSE of San Juan Bautista, California · 16609 days ago · 7 km deep · 69 km away
  10. 2.02 km WSW of San Juan Bautista, California · 16609 days ago · 7 km deep · 76 km away
  11. 1.65 km SSE of San Juan Bautista, California · 16609 days ago · 6 km deep · 73 km away
  12. 1.98 km WSW of Templeton, California · 16608 days ago · 4 km deep · 99 km away
  13. 2.123 km ENE of San Lucas, California · 16608 days ago · 6 km deep · 69 km away
  14. 2.36 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16607 days ago · 5 km deep · 99 km away
  15. 3.836 km NW of San Simeon, California · 16607 days ago · 7 km deep · 34 km away
  16. 1.923 km NNE of San Lucas, California · 16606 days ago · 9 km deep · 63 km away
  17. 1.624 km NNE of San Lucas, California · 16606 days ago · 9 km deep · 63 km away
  18. 1.816 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16606 days ago · 4 km deep · 61 km away
  19. 1.812 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 16605 days ago · 3 km deep · 63 km away
  20. 1.88 km SSW of Tres Pinos, California · 16605 days ago · 3 km deep · 66 km away
  21. 2.07 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16603 days ago · 10 km deep · 99 km away
  22. 2.22 km NE of Ridgemark, California · 16603 days ago · 7 km deep · 77 km away
  23. 1.89 km NNW of Hollister, California · 16603 days ago · 0 km deep · 88 km away
  24. 1.625 km SE of Big Sur, California · 16601 days ago · 6 km deep · 3 km away
  25. 1.725 km SE of Big Sur, California · 16601 days ago · 4 km deep · 3 km away
  26. 2.025 km SE of Big Sur, California · 16601 days ago · 5 km deep · 4 km away
  27. 2.025 km SE of Big Sur, California · 16601 days ago · 10 km deep · 5 km away
  28. 1.925 km SE of Big Sur, California · 16601 days ago · 5 km deep · 5 km away
  29. 1.631 km WNW of San Simeon, California · 16601 days ago · 11 km deep · 45 km away
  30. 3.08 km SSW of Tres Pinos, California · 16600 days ago · 3 km deep · 66 km away
  31. 2.124 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16600 days ago · 8 km deep · 60 km away
  32. 1.725 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16599 days ago · 8 km deep · 61 km away
  33. 1.610 km E of Gilroy, California · 16598 days ago · 8 km deep · 95 km away
  34. 1.815 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16597 days ago · 5 km deep · 92 km away
  35. 2.73 km W of San Juan Bautista, California · 16596 days ago · 6 km deep · 77 km away
  36. 2.83 km W of San Juan Bautista, California · 16596 days ago · 7 km deep · 77 km away
  37. 2.23 km W of San Juan Bautista, California · 16596 days ago · 6 km deep · 77 km away
  38. 1.77 km SSW of Tres Pinos, California · 16595 days ago · 3 km deep · 67 km away
  39. 1.713 km N of Hollister, California · 16595 days ago · 7 km deep · 93 km away
  40. 1.624 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16594 days ago · 6 km deep · 59 km away
  41. 1.524 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16594 days ago · 4 km deep · 59 km away
  42. 1.623 km ENE of King City, California · 16594 days ago · 9 km deep · 62 km away
  43. 1.52 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16592 days ago · 6 km deep · 73 km away
  44. 1.824 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16592 days ago · 5 km deep · 58 km away
  45. 1.724 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16590 days ago · 5 km deep · 58 km away
  46. 1.94 km ESE of Interlaken, California · 16590 days ago · 10 km deep · 88 km away
  47. 1.813 km W of Oak Shores, California · 16590 days ago · 5 km deep · 57 km away
  48. 1.523 km ENE of San Ardo, California · 16590 days ago · 7 km deep · 80 km away
  49. 1.82 km ESE of San Ardo, California · 16589 days ago · 11 km deep · 63 km away
  50. 2.426 km NE of King City, California · 16587 days ago · 6 km deep · 62 km away
  51. 1.626 km NE of King City, California · 16587 days ago · 4 km deep · 62 km away
  52. 3.112 km W of Oak Shores, California · 16586 days ago · 5 km deep · 57 km away
  53. 1.730 km NE of San Lucas, California · 16586 days ago · 9 km deep · 73 km away
  54. 2.023 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16586 days ago · 3 km deep · 85 km away
  55. 2.726 km SE of Tres Pinos, California · 16585 days ago · 10 km deep · 67 km away
  56. 2.424 km NE of Soledad, California · 16585 days ago · 4 km deep · 61 km away
  57. 1.66 km SSW of Ridgemark, California · 16584 days ago · 9 km deep · 69 km away
  58. 2.025 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16583 days ago · 5 km deep · 59 km away
  59. 2.22 km ESE of Aromas, California · 16583 days ago · 7 km deep · 81 km away
  60. 1.78 km W of Gilroy, California · 16580 days ago · 7 km deep · 95 km away

The first 60 of 121.

Before

  1. 2.519 km NNW of San Simeon, California · 16614 days ago · 5 km deep · 47 km away
  2. 1.822 km NE of San Ardo, California · 16614 days ago · 3 km deep · 73 km away
  3. 2.94 km SSW of Ridgemark, CA · 16614 days ago · 3 km deep · 72 km away
  4. 1.921 km NE of Soledad, California · 16615 days ago · 6 km deep · 58 km away
  5. 2.42 km SSW of Hollister, California · 16615 days ago · 9 km deep · 77 km away
  6. 2.519 km NNW of San Simeon, California · 16615 days ago · 5 km deep · 46 km away
  7. 2.824 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16615 days ago · 6 km deep · 58 km away
  8. 1.732 km NE of San Lucas, California · 16616 days ago · 8 km deep · 75 km away
  9. 1.89 km NNE of San Juan Bautista, California · 16616 days ago · 4 km deep · 86 km away
  10. 2.09 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 16616 days ago · 3 km deep · 65 km away
  11. 1.524 km NNE of King City, California · 16617 days ago · 7 km deep · 59 km away
  12. 1.57 km SSW of Tres Pinos, California · 16617 days ago · 4 km deep · 66 km away
  13. 2.08 km SSW of Tres Pinos, California · 16617 days ago · 4 km deep · 66 km away
  14. 1.58 km SSW of Tres Pinos, California · 16617 days ago · 4 km deep · 66 km away
  15. 2.07 km SSW of Tres Pinos, California · 16618 days ago · 3 km deep · 66 km away
  16. 2.08 km SSW of Tres Pinos, California · 16618 days ago · 4 km deep · 66 km away
  17. 1.58 km SSW of Tres Pinos, California · 16618 days ago · 4 km deep · 66 km away
  18. 2.025 km NE of Soledad, California · 16619 days ago · 10 km deep · 62 km away
  19. 1.521 km NE of Soledad, California · 16619 days ago · 6 km deep · 59 km away
  20. 1.817 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16621 days ago · 6 km deep · 62 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1061853. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 11:28 PM UTC.