California earthquakes

M1.9 earthquake Central California

A magnitude 1.9 earthquake struck in Central California on Thu, Sep 24, 1981, 7:30 PM PDT (02:30 UTC), 2 km (2 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M2.1 23 km NE of San Lucas, California. This one was a foreshock.

San Ardo 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
1.9 (md), micro
Local time
UTC
1981-09-25 02:30:52 UTC
Depth
2.4 km (1.5 mi), shallow
Epicenter
36.086° N, 120.650° 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 0.2 km horizontally, 0.7 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.17
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
79°
Stations used
21

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 84 in the 60 days after this one and 61 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 1.725 km WSW of Coalinga, California · 16433 days ago · 2 km deep · 3 km away
  2. 2.123 km NE of San Lucas, California · 16433 days ago · 7 km deep · 24 km away
  3. 2.2Central California · 16433 days ago · 6 km deep · 43 km away
  4. 1.84 km SW of Tres Pinos, California · 16433 days ago · 8 km deep · 98 km away
  5. 2.112 km SE of Coalinga, California · 16432 days ago · 9 km deep · 35 km away
  6. 3.014 km SSE of Coalinga, California · 16432 days ago · 0 km deep · 33 km away
  7. 2.118 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16432 days ago · 5 km deep · 82 km away
  8. 1.927 km ENE of King City, California · 16431 days ago · 9 km deep · 35 km away
  9. 2.123 km NE of Soledad, California · 16431 days ago · 9 km deep · 69 km away
  10. 3.131 km NE of Soledad, California · 16430 days ago · 8 km deep · 67 km away
  11. 1.812 km ESE of Tres Pinos, California · 16430 days ago · 10 km deep · 87 km away
  12. 1.810 km NNE of Cayucos, California · 16430 days ago · 5 km deep · 64 km away
  13. 1.623 km NE of San Lucas, California · 16428 days ago · 5 km deep · 30 km away
  14. 2.514 km SSW of Lockwood, California · 16428 days ago · 6 km deep · 52 km away
  15. 3.222 km NE of Soledad, California · 16427 days ago · 7 km deep · 74 km away
  16. 1.921 km NE of Soledad, California · 16427 days ago · 6 km deep · 73 km away
  17. 1.813 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 16427 days ago · 3 km deep · 87 km away
  18. 1.621 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16426 days ago · 2 km deep · 7 km away
  19. 1.921 km NE of Soledad, California · 16424 days ago · 6 km deep · 74 km away
  20. 2.015km S of Kettleman City, CA · 16423 days ago · 5 km deep · 69 km away
  21. 2.08 km W of Huron, California · 16422 days ago · 9 km deep · 42 km away
  22. 1.56 km WSW of Paso Robles, California · 16422 days ago · 5 km deep · 55 km away
  23. 2.123 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16422 days ago · 5 km deep · 61 km away
  24. 2.227 km E of Tres Pinos, California · 16421 days ago · 3 km deep · 80 km away
  25. 1.621 km NE of Soledad, California · 16421 days ago · 3 km deep · 70 km away
  26. 1.625 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16420 days ago · 1 km deep · 52 km away
  27. 2.013 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 16420 days ago · 2 km deep · 87 km away
  28. 1.923 km NE of King City, California · 16419 days ago · 4 km deep · 40 km away
  29. 1.732 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16418 days ago · 12 km deep · 52 km away
  30. 2.1Central California · 16417 days ago · 11 km deep · 13 km away
  31. 1.98 km WSW of Atascadero, California · 16417 days ago · 6 km deep · 69 km away
  32. 1.68 km W of Oak Shores, California · 16416 days ago · 7 km deep · 51 km away
  33. 1.822 km ENE of San Ardo, California · 16415 days ago · 2 km deep · 3 km away
  34. 2.021 km NE of Soledad, California · 16413 days ago · 6 km deep · 71 km away
  35. 1.82 km ESE of Tres Pinos, California · 16413 days ago · 8 km deep · 96 km away
  36. 1.528 km NE of San Lucas, California · 16412 days ago · 9 km deep · 27 km away
  37. 2.03 km ESE of Tres Pinos, California · 16412 days ago · 7 km deep · 96 km away
  38. 1.630 km SW of South Dos Palos, California · 16410 days ago · 1 km deep · 78 km away
  39. 1.621 km NE of Soledad, California · 16409 days ago · 3 km deep · 73 km away
  40. 2.130 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16409 days ago · 7 km deep · 65 km away
  41. 1.530 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16409 days ago · 8 km deep · 65 km away
  42. 1.923 km SSW of South Dos Palos, California · 16406 days ago · 4 km deep · 78 km away
  43. 2.624 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16405 days ago · 6 km deep · 55 km away
  44. 2.61 km NE of Tres Pinos, California · 16404 days ago · 8 km deep · 99 km away
  45. 2.41 km NE of Tres Pinos, California · 16404 days ago · 8 km deep · 99 km away
  46. 1.522 km NNE of Soledad, California · 16404 days ago · 2 km deep · 76 km away
  47. 1.922 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16403 days ago · 4 km deep · 6 km away
  48. 1.628 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16402 days ago · 7 km deep · 63 km away
  49. 1.928 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16402 days ago · 7 km deep · 63 km away
  50. 1.519 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16401 days ago · 4 km deep · 9 km away
  51. 2.213 km SE of Parkfield, California · 16401 days ago · 10 km deep · 42 km away
  52. 1.86 km NE of Cambria, California · 16401 days ago · 3 km deep · 63 km away
  53. 1.823 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16401 days ago · 6 km deep · 55 km away
  54. 2.816 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16400 days ago · 5 km deep · 11 km away
  55. 1.531 km WNW of Coalinga, California · 16399 days ago · 10 km deep · 18 km away
  56. 1.62 km S of Parkfield, California · 16398 days ago · 10 km deep · 31 km away
  57. 1.824 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16397 days ago · 5 km deep · 54 km away
  58. 2.424 km NE of King City, California · 16395 days ago · 9 km deep · 42 km away
  59. 2.5Central California · 16394 days ago · 2 km deep · 92 km away
  60. 1.95 km SE of Tres Pinos, California · 16393 days ago · 8 km deep · 93 km away

The first 60 of 84.

Before

  1. 1.923 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16434 days ago · 3 km deep · 60 km away
  2. 1.59 km WSW of Atascadero, California · 16434 days ago · 5 km deep · 69 km away
  3. 2.217 km NNW of San Simeon, California · 16434 days ago · 4 km deep · 65 km away
  4. 2.330 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16435 days ago · 7 km deep · 64 km away
  5. 1.82 km E of Tres Pinos, California · 16435 days ago · 8 km deep · 98 km away
  6. 2.44 km SW of Tres Pinos, California · 16436 days ago · 9 km deep · 98 km away
  7. 1.926 km SE of Big Sur, California · 16437 days ago · 5 km deep · 84 km away
  8. 2.121 km NE of Soledad, California · 16437 days ago · 4 km deep · 70 km away
  9. 3.313 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16437 days ago · 3 km deep · 86 km away
  10. 2.424 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16438 days ago · 3 km deep · 60 km away
  11. 1.925 km SE of Big Sur, California · 16440 days ago · 9 km deep · 84 km away
  12. 1.825 km NW of San Simeon, California · 16440 days ago · 12 km deep · 70 km away
  13. 1.511 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16440 days ago · 16 km deep · 88 km away
  14. 1.638 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16441 days ago · 4 km deep · 54 km away
  15. 1.69 km SSW of Tres Pinos, California · 16441 days ago · 2 km deep · 93 km away
  16. 2.54 km SW of Tres Pinos, California · 16441 days ago · 9 km deep · 98 km away
  17. 1.514 km NW of San Simeon, California · 16441 days ago · 8 km deep · 70 km away
  18. 2.718 km NNW of San Simeon, California · 16442 days ago · 6 km deep · 66 km away
  19. 1.8Near the coast of Central California · 16442 days ago · 6 km deep · 59 km away
  20. 2.7Near the coast of Central California · 16442 days ago · 10 km deep · 67 km away

Earthquakes todayCalifornia earthquakesLive radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1067899. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 4:18 PM UTC.