California earthquakes

M1.9 earthquake 17 km NNW of Chester, California

A magnitude 1.9 earthquake struck 17 km NNW of Chester, California on Thu, Jun 18, 1981, 5:16 AM PDT (12:16 UTC), 3 km (2 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M3.1 2 km NNW of Belden, California. This one was a foreshock.

Chester 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
1.9 (Md, duration), micro
Magnitude from
Northern California Seismic System
Local time
UTC
1981-06-18 12:16:30 UTC
Depth
2.6 km (1.6 mi), shallow
Epicenter
40.456° N, 121.293° 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 2.4 km horizontally, 3.3 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.22
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
178°
Stations used
5

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 37 in the 60 days after this one and 8 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 2.07 km NNW of McArthur, California · 16544 days ago · 3 km deep · 74 km away
  2. 3.12 km NNW of Belden, California · 16540 days ago · 5 km deep · 47 km away
  3. 2.212 km WSW of Chester, California · 16539 days ago · 3 km deep · 24 km away
  4. 1.818 km ENE of Shingletown, California · 16537 days ago · 8 km deep · 35 km away
  5. 1.87 km E of Manton, California · 16536 days ago · 3 km deep · 42 km away
  6. 2.2Northern California · 16536 days ago · 4 km deep · 78 km away
  7. 1.727 km SSW of Likely, California · 16532 days ago · 3 km deep · 84 km away
  8. 2.13 km NW of Lake Almanor Country Club, California · 16531 days ago · 3 km deep · 23 km away
  9. 2.012 km WNW of Burney, California · 16530 days ago · 3 km deep · 67 km away
  10. 1.916 km S of Round Mountain, California · 16527 days ago · 4 km deep · 58 km away
  11. 2.514 km NNE of Mineral, California · 16525 days ago · 2 km deep · 19 km away
  12. 2.915 km NNE of Mineral, California · 16525 days ago · 0 km deep · 18 km away
  13. 1.612 km WSW of Chester, California · 16524 days ago · 3 km deep · 21 km away
  14. 1.716 km NE of Mineral, California · 16522 days ago · 1 km deep · 16 km away
  15. 1.50 km NW of Lake Almanor Country Club, California · 16518 days ago · 2 km deep · 26 km away
  16. 2.611 km NE of Nord, California · 16517 days ago · 21 km deep · 83 km away
  17. 2.913 km E of Bend, California · 16513 days ago · 24 km deep · 68 km away
  18. 1.52 km ESE of Nord, California · 16513 days ago · 14 km deep · 93 km away
  19. 1.8Northern California · 16513 days ago · 9 km deep · 65 km away
  20. 1.82 km NE of Canyondam, California · 16513 days ago · 2 km deep · 36 km away
  21. 2.0Northern California · 16512 days ago · 13 km deep · 97 km away
  22. 1.66 km NW of Plumas Eureka (historical), California · 16511 days ago · 1 km deep · 86 km away
  23. 1.93 km SW of East Shore, California · 16511 days ago · 1 km deep · 32 km away
  24. 2.75 km ESE of Chico, California · 16510 days ago · 19 km deep · 92 km away
  25. 2.010 km W of Lake Almanor West, California · 16508 days ago · 3 km deep · 24 km away
  26. 2.27 km NE of Montgomery Creek, California · 16507 days ago · 7 km deep · 68 km away
  27. 1.830 km NNW of McArthur, California · 16499 days ago · 10 km deep · 95 km away
  28. 2.01 km ENE of Chester, California · 16498 days ago · 7 km deep · 18 km away
  29. 2.02 km ESE of Chester, California · 16498 days ago · 5 km deep · 19 km away
  30. 1.6Northern California · 16498 days ago · 3 km deep · 20 km away
  31. 1.9Northern California · 16496 days ago · 13 km deep · 57 km away
  32. 1.97 km ESE of Los Molinos, California · 16495 days ago · 3 km deep · 80 km away
  33. 1.615 km NNE of Butte Meadows, California · 16493 days ago · 3 km deep · 31 km away
  34. 2.30 km NW of Chester, California · 16489 days ago · 2 km deep · 17 km away
  35. 1.710 km SE of Mineral, California · 16486 days ago · 2 km deep · 25 km away
  36. 1.712 km ENE of Shingletown, California · 16485 days ago · 7 km deep · 41 km away
  37. 1.619 km N of Chester, California · 16485 days ago · 0 km deep · 9 km away

Before

  1. 2.213 km WNW of Cohasset, California · 16554 days ago · 15 km deep · 73 km away
  2. 2.510 km SW of Spring Garden, California · 16557 days ago · -1 km deep · 80 km away
  3. 2.311 km N of Chester, California · 16565 days ago · 2 km deep · 6 km away
  4. 1.84 km ESE of Manton, California · 16567 days ago · 22 km deep · 45 km away
  5. 1.72 km W of Nord, California · 16571 days ago · 20 km deep · 96 km away
  6. 2.013 km SW of Lake Almanor West, California · 16571 days ago · 8 km deep · 32 km away
  7. 1.912 km WSW of Chester, California · 16571 days ago · 1 km deep · 24 km away
  8. 1.613 km NNE of Mineral, California · 16574 days ago · 3 km deep · 22 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1064642. Read Mon, Oct 5, 2026, 11:44 AM UTC.