California earthquakes

M1.6 earthquake 5 km SW of Gilroy, California

A magnitude 1.6 earthquake struck 5 km SW of Gilroy, California on Sun, Jun 21, 1981, 6:53 AM PDT (13:53 UTC), 2 km (1 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M4.2 2 km ESE of Tres Pinos, California. This one was a foreshock.

Gilroy 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
1.6 (Md, duration), micro
Magnitude from
Northern California Seismic System
Local time
UTC
1981-06-21 13:53:26 UTC
Depth
2.4 km (1.5 mi), shallow
Epicenter
36.977° N, 121.614° 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 0.3 km horizontally, 0.8 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.19
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
50°
Stations used
31

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 173 in the 60 days after this one and 85 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 2.94 km N of Hollister, California · 16538 days ago · 8 km deep · 21 km away
  2. 1.69 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16537 days ago · 0 km deep · 43 km away
  3. 1.612 km NNE of Morgan Hill, California · 16537 days ago · 4 km deep · 29 km away
  4. 2.59 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16537 days ago · 7 km deep · 42 km away
  5. 2.526 km NE of Soledad, California · 16536 days ago · 8 km deep · 64 km away
  6. 1.714 km ENE of Big Sur, California · 16536 days ago · 7 km deep · 74 km away
  7. 2.213 km ENE of Big Sur, California · 16536 days ago · 7 km deep · 74 km away
  8. 2.122 km NE of Soledad, California · 16535 days ago · 2 km deep · 65 km away
  9. 2.023 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16535 days ago · 7 km deep · 67 km away
  10. 2.423 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16535 days ago · 7 km deep · 67 km away
  11. 2.138 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16534 days ago · 6 km deep · 86 km away
  12. 3.122 km NNE of Soledad, California · 16534 days ago · 7 km deep · 57 km away
  13. 1.629 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16533 days ago · 0 km deep · 82 km away
  14. 1.913 km ENE of Big Sur, California · 16532 days ago · 6 km deep · 73 km away
  15. 1.638 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16532 days ago · 8 km deep · 85 km away
  16. 2.93 km NE of East Foothills, California · 16531 days ago · 2 km deep · 50 km away
  17. 1.528 km NE of Soledad, California · 16531 days ago · 11 km deep · 65 km away
  18. 2.02 km WSW of San Juan Bautista, California · 16530 days ago · 7 km deep · 16 km away
  19. 1.98 km SSW of La Selva Beach, California · 16530 days ago · 7 km deep · 30 km away
  20. 2.522 km NNE of Soledad, California · 16529 days ago · 6 km deep · 55 km away
  21. 1.623 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16528 days ago · 6 km deep · 77 km away
  22. 1.621 km NE of Soledad, California · 16527 days ago · 7 km deep · 58 km away
  23. 2.722 km NE of Soledad, California · 16527 days ago · 4 km deep · 58 km away
  24. 2.125 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16527 days ago · 2 km deep · 79 km away
  25. 1.525 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16527 days ago · 1 km deep · 80 km away
  26. 1.716 km E of Seven Trees, California · 16527 days ago · 7 km deep · 35 km away
  27. 2.128 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16526 days ago · 9 km deep · 77 km away
  28. 1.611 km SE of La Honda, California · 16526 days ago · 6 km deep · 59 km away
  29. 1.723 km ENE of King City, California · 16526 days ago · 4 km deep · 96 km away
  30. 1.714 km S of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California · 16525 days ago · 19 km deep · 68 km away
  31. 1.816 km E of Seven Trees, California · 16525 days ago · 7 km deep · 35 km away
  32. 1.731 km NE of Soledad, California · 16525 days ago · 8 km deep · 67 km away
  33. 1.64 km NW of Diablo Grande, California · 16525 days ago · 19 km deep · 57 km away
  34. 2.010 km ESE of Gilroy, California · 16525 days ago · 4 km deep · 14 km away
  35. 2.48 km SSW of Tres Pinos, California · 16525 days ago · 3 km deep · 37 km away
  36. 2.12 km WSW of San Juan Bautista, California · 16524 days ago · 7 km deep · 16 km away
  37. 1.79 km NNE of East Foothills, California · 16524 days ago · 5 km deep · 56 km away
  38. 1.69 km NE of Gilroy, California · 16524 days ago · 9 km deep · 15 km away
  39. 1.716 km ENE of Big Sur, California · 16524 days ago · 8 km deep · 73 km away
  40. 1.822 km NE of Soledad, California · 16524 days ago · 3 km deep · 66 km away
  41. 2.511 km N of Livermore, California · 16524 days ago · 12 km deep · 91 km away
  42. 1.823 km NE of Soledad, California · 16523 days ago · 4 km deep · 64 km away
  43. 1.69 km NE of San Martin, California · 16523 days ago · 7 km deep · 21 km away
  44. 1.526 km SE of Tres Pinos, California · 16523 days ago · 7 km deep · 60 km away
  45. 2.422 km NE of Soledad, California · 16523 days ago · 2 km deep · 66 km away
  46. 1.621 km NE of Soledad, California · 16523 days ago · 8 km deep · 64 km away
  47. 2.023 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16522 days ago · 4 km deep · 71 km away
  48. 2.47 km W of Mountain House, California · 16522 days ago · 7 km deep · 89 km away
  49. 1.724 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16521 days ago · 5 km deep · 78 km away
  50. 1.8Northern California · 16521 days ago · 7 km deep · 65 km away
  51. 1.922 km SE of Livermore, California · 16521 days ago · 7 km deep · 65 km away
  52. 1.612 km ENE of East Foothills, California · 16521 days ago · 8 km deep · 49 km away
  53. 2.122 km NE of Soledad, California · 16521 days ago · 2 km deep · 65 km away
  54. 1.524 km NE of King City, California · 16519 days ago · 3 km deep · 89 km away
  55. 2.83 km NNW of Hollister, California · 16518 days ago · 8 km deep · 20 km away
  56. 1.72 km NE of Union City, California · 16518 days ago · 6 km deep · 78 km away
  57. 2.65 km S of Gilroy, California · 16517 days ago · 4 km deep · 4 km away
  58. 2.76 km ESE of Prunedale, California · 16517 days ago · 9 km deep · 24 km away
  59. 1.67 km ESE of Prunedale, California · 16517 days ago · 8 km deep · 24 km away
  60. 2.116 km NE of East Foothills, California · 16516 days ago · 6 km deep · 57 km away

The first 60 of 173.

Before

  1. 1.815 km N of Morgan Hill, California · 16539 days ago · 2 km deep · 33 km away
  2. 1.89 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16539 days ago · 8 km deep · 43 km away
  3. 1.58 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16539 days ago · 9 km deep · 43 km away
  4. 2.210 km NNW of Hollister, California · 16540 days ago · 4 km deep · 16 km away
  5. 1.610 km ENE of Blackhawk, California · 16540 days ago · 9 km deep · 98 km away
  6. 1.87 km NNE of Interlaken, California · 16540 days ago · 10 km deep · 10 km away
  7. 2.121 km NE of Soledad, California · 16540 days ago · 7 km deep · 58 km away
  8. 2.210 km NNW of Hollister, California · 16540 days ago · 4 km deep · 16 km away
  9. 2.121 km NE of Soledad, California · 16540 days ago · 7 km deep · 57 km away
  10. 2.621 km NE of Soledad, California · 16540 days ago · 7 km deep · 58 km away
  11. 2.39 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16540 days ago · 2 km deep · 42 km away
  12. 2.49 km NNW of Hollister, California · 16541 days ago · 4 km deep · 17 km away
  13. 2.58 km ENE of Gilroy, California · 16541 days ago · 8 km deep · 14 km away
  14. 1.910 km NE of Milpitas, California · 16541 days ago · 6 km deep · 59 km away
  15. 2.23 km NNW of Hollister, California · 16541 days ago · 7 km deep · 21 km away
  16. 2.13 km S of San Juan Bautista, California · 16544 days ago · 6 km deep · 19 km away
  17. 1.58 km ENE of Day Valley, California · 16545 days ago · 9 km deep · 17 km away
  18. 1.62 km ESE of Aromas, California · 16545 days ago · 5 km deep · 10 km away
  19. 3.02 km ESE of Aromas, California · 16545 days ago · 6 km deep · 10 km away
  20. 3.22 km ESE of Aromas, California · 16545 days ago · 6 km deep · 11 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1064742. Read Thu, Oct 1, 2026, 6:19 PM UTC.