California earthquakes

M1.8 earthquake Central California

A magnitude 1.8 earthquake struck in Central California on Mon, Dec 21, 1981, 5:28 PM PST (01:28 UTC), 3 km (2 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M2.0 21 km NE of Soledad, 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
1.8 (md), micro
Local time
UTC
1981-12-22 01:28:20 UTC
Depth
3.1 km (1.9 mi), shallow
Epicenter
36.985° N, 121.634° 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, 0.5 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.16
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
71°
Stations used
40

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 136 in the 60 days after this one and 32 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 1.64 km ESE of Aromas, California · 16347 days ago · 7 km deep · 13 km away
  2. 2.021 km NE of Soledad, California · 16347 days ago · 8 km deep · 60 km away
  3. 1.72 km ESE of Aromas, California · 16346 days ago · 8 km deep · 12 km away
  4. 1.524 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16345 days ago · 7 km deep · 77 km away
  5. 2.09 km NNE of Interlaken, California · 16345 days ago · 7 km deep · 7 km away
  6. 1.931 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16345 days ago · 13 km deep · 93 km away
  7. 2.51 km E of Tres Pinos, California · 16344 days ago · 7 km deep · 37 km away
  8. 1.725 km SSW of South Dos Palos, California · 16344 days ago · 2 km deep · 79 km away
  9. 1.524 km SSW of South Dos Palos, California · 16344 days ago · 0 km deep · 79 km away
  10. 1.825 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16343 days ago · 6 km deep · 85 km away
  11. 1.85 km SW of Gilroy, California · 16343 days ago · 3 km deep · 3 km away
  12. 1.521 km NE of Soledad, California · 16342 days ago · 8 km deep · 66 km away
  13. 1.610 km SE of San Juan Bautista, California · 16342 days ago · 7 km deep · 28 km away
  14. 1.68 km NNE of Interlaken, California · 16342 days ago · 10 km deep · 6 km away
  15. 1.612 km ENE of Hollister, California · 16342 days ago · 4 km deep · 33 km away
  16. 2.19 km NW of Hollister, California · 16342 days ago · 7 km deep · 17 km away
  17. 1.621 km NE of Soledad, California · 16342 days ago · 3 km deep · 63 km away
  18. 1.833 km SE of Tres Pinos, California · 16341 days ago · 7 km deep · 68 km away
  19. 2.024 km NE of King City, California · 16340 days ago · 0 km deep · 89 km away
  20. 1.525 km SE of Tres Pinos, California · 16339 days ago · 6 km deep · 61 km away
  21. 2.128 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16339 days ago · 9 km deep · 78 km away
  22. 1.625 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16336 days ago · 5 km deep · 86 km away
  23. 2.38 km ENE of Patterson, California · 16336 days ago · 10 km deep · 78 km away
  24. 1.89 km SSW of Ridgemark, California · 16336 days ago · 8 km deep · 34 km away
  25. 2.012 km SW of Byron, California · 16335 days ago · 15 km deep · 91 km away
  26. 1.524 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16335 days ago · 5 km deep · 84 km away
  27. 1.64 km ENE of Lompico, California · 16334 days ago · 7 km deep · 36 km away
  28. 3.128 km SE of Tres Pinos, California · 16334 days ago · 11 km deep · 64 km away
  29. 2.22 km SSW of Hollister, California · 16333 days ago · 8 km deep · 26 km away
  30. 1.79 km NE of San Martin, California · 16332 days ago · 6 km deep · 21 km away
  31. 2.217 km E of East Foothills, California · 16330 days ago · 6 km deep · 44 km away
  32. 2.123 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16330 days ago · 6 km deep · 78 km away
  33. 1.929 km SE of Tres Pinos, California · 16329 days ago · 10 km deep · 65 km away
  34. 2.17 km E of East Foothills, California · 16329 days ago · 8 km deep · 45 km away
  35. 1.816 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16328 days ago · 2 km deep · 50 km away
  36. 2.122 km NNE of Soledad, California · 16328 days ago · 5 km deep · 57 km away
  37. 1.611 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 16327 days ago · 4 km deep · 44 km away
  38. 2.69 km S of South Dos Palos, California · 16327 days ago · -1 km deep · 89 km away
  39. 2.510 km S of South Dos Palos, California · 16327 days ago · 3 km deep · 90 km away
  40. 2.411 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 16327 days ago · 4 km deep · 44 km away
  41. 2.713 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16327 days ago · 3 km deep · 47 km away
  42. 2.516 km ENE of East Foothills, California · 16327 days ago · 3 km deep · 48 km away
  43. 2.723 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16327 days ago · 5 km deep · 71 km away
  44. 2.39 km NE of Gilroy, California · 16326 days ago · 9 km deep · 16 km away
  45. 1.710 km ENE of Blackhawk, California · 16326 days ago · 9 km deep · 98 km away
  46. 2.611 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 16326 days ago · 4 km deep · 44 km away
  47. 1.920 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16326 days ago · 4 km deep · 54 km away
  48. 1.910 km ENE of Blackhawk, California · 16326 days ago · 4 km deep · 100 km away
  49. 1.624 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16325 days ago · 2 km deep · 73 km away
  50. 2.017 km SSW of South Dos Palos, California · 16325 days ago · 3 km deep · 80 km away
  51. 2.910 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 16324 days ago · 4 km deep · 43 km away
  52. 1.716 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16323 days ago · 3 km deep · 50 km away
  53. 2.08 km NE of Hollister, California · 16321 days ago · 2 km deep · 29 km away
  54. 2.821 km WSW of Greenfield, California · 16320 days ago · 11 km deep · 86 km away
  55. 2.425 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16319 days ago · 4 km deep · 86 km away
  56. 1.525 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16319 days ago · 1 km deep · 82 km away
  57. 2.05 km SSE of San Juan Bautista, California · 16318 days ago · 7 km deep · 23 km away
  58. 1.733 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16318 days ago · 12 km deep · 98 km away
  59. 2.210 km NNW of Hollister, California · 16317 days ago · 4 km deep · 19 km away
  60. 1.71 km SSE of Manteca, California · 16317 days ago · 18 km deep · 96 km away

The first 60 of 136.

Before

  1. 1.68 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16348 days ago · 6 km deep · 43 km away
  2. 1.84 km SE of Tres Pinos, California · 16348 days ago · 7 km deep · 39 km away
  3. 1.77 km NE of Aromas, California · 16348 days ago · 6 km deep · 8 km away
  4. 1.523 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16349 days ago · 2 km deep · 73 km away
  5. 1.825 km NE of Soledad, California · 16349 days ago · 9 km deep · 64 km away
  6. 1.925 km NE of Soledad, California · 16349 days ago · 9 km deep · 64 km away
  7. 1.737 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16349 days ago · 5 km deep · 88 km away
  8. 1.624 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16349 days ago · 1 km deep · 82 km away
  9. 1.72 km WNW of Portola Valley, California · 16349 days ago · 7 km deep · 72 km away
  10. 2.324 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16350 days ago · 4 km deep · 77 km away
  11. 1.938 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16350 days ago · 5 km deep · 88 km away
  12. 2.037 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16350 days ago · 7 km deep · 88 km away
  13. 1.629 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16351 days ago · 5 km deep · 71 km away
  14. 2.523 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16351 days ago · 5 km deep · 74 km away
  15. 2.538 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16351 days ago · 6 km deep · 88 km away
  16. 2.516 km E of East Foothills, California · 16352 days ago · 6 km deep · 44 km away
  17. 1.524 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16352 days ago · 5 km deep · 82 km away
  18. 1.537 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16352 days ago · -1 km deep · 88 km away
  19. 2.738 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16352 days ago · 5 km deep · 87 km away
  20. 1.725 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16352 days ago · 1 km deep · 82 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1070534. Read Thu, Sep 24, 2026, 8:03 AM UTC.