California earthquakes

M1.6 earthquake 7 km SSE of Gilroy, California

A magnitude 1.6 earthquake struck 7 km SSE of Gilroy, California on Sun, Sep 27, 1981, 11:59 PM PDT (06:59 UTC), 5 km (3 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M4.0 3 km S of San Juan Bautista, 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), micro
Local time
UTC
1981-09-28 06:59:49 UTC
Depth
4.7 km (2.9 mi), shallow
Epicenter
36.946° N, 121.543° 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, 0.6 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.17
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
32°
Stations used
43

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 128 in the 60 days after this one and 45 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 4.03 km S of San Juan Bautista, California · 16430 days ago · 9 km deep · 15 km away
  2. 1.812 km ESE of Tres Pinos, California · 16430 days ago · 10 km deep · 39 km away
  3. 2.44 km S of San Juan Bautista, California · 16430 days ago · 9 km deep · 15 km away
  4. 1.54 km S of San Juan Bautista, California · 16430 days ago · 8 km deep · 16 km away
  5. 2.34 km S of San Juan Bautista, California · 16430 days ago · 7 km deep · 16 km away
  6. 2.54 km SSE of San Juan Bautista, California · 16430 days ago · 7 km deep · 16 km away
  7. 2.44 km SSE of San Juan Bautista, California · 16430 days ago · 7 km deep · 16 km away
  8. 2.13 km SSW of San Juan Bautista, California · 16429 days ago · 7 km deep · 14 km away
  9. 2.74 km S of San Juan Bautista, California · 16429 days ago · 7 km deep · 15 km away
  10. 1.623 km NE of San Lucas, California · 16428 days ago · 5 km deep · 95 km away
  11. 3.222 km NE of Soledad, California · 16427 days ago · 7 km deep · 51 km away
  12. 1.921 km NE of Soledad, California · 16427 days ago · 6 km deep · 51 km away
  13. 1.813 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 16426 days ago · 3 km deep · 38 km away
  14. 1.54 km SSE of Diablo Grande, California · 16425 days ago · 8 km deep · 52 km away
  15. 1.89 km NE of Milpitas, California · 16424 days ago · 7 km deep · 67 km away
  16. 1.921 km NE of Soledad, California · 16424 days ago · 6 km deep · 51 km away
  17. 2.322 km SE of Livermore, California · 16423 days ago · 7 km deep · 68 km away
  18. 2.33 km S of San Juan Bautista, California · 16423 days ago · 7 km deep · 14 km away
  19. 2.010 km SW of Ridgemark, California · 16423 days ago · 10 km deep · 22 km away
  20. 1.86 km SE of Lexington Hills, California · 16422 days ago · 13 km deep · 38 km away
  21. 2.110 km SSW of Tracy, California · 16422 days ago · 9 km deep · 78 km away
  22. 2.123 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16422 days ago · 5 km deep · 63 km away
  23. 2.227 km E of Tres Pinos, California · 16421 days ago · 3 km deep · 52 km away
  24. 1.94 km SSE of San Juan Bautista, California · 16420 days ago · 7 km deep · 16 km away
  25. 1.621 km NE of Soledad, California · 16420 days ago · 3 km deep · 54 km away
  26. 1.57 km WSW of Ridgemark, California · 16420 days ago · 9 km deep · 19 km away
  27. 1.67 km WSW of Ridgemark, California · 16420 days ago · 9 km deep · 19 km away
  28. 1.625 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16420 days ago · 1 km deep · 73 km away
  29. 1.66 km SW of Gilroy, California · 16420 days ago · 5 km deep · 8 km away
  30. 2.013 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 16420 days ago · 2 km deep · 38 km away
  31. 2.07 km WSW of Ridgemark, California · 16419 days ago · 9 km deep · 19 km away
  32. 1.76 km NE of East Foothills, California · 16419 days ago · 8 km deep · 57 km away
  33. 1.715 km WNW of Davenport, California · 16419 days ago · 4 km deep · 72 km away
  34. 1.923 km NE of King City, California · 16419 days ago · 4 km deep · 85 km away
  35. 1.732 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16418 days ago · 12 km deep · 84 km away
  36. 2.19 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16415 days ago · 7 km deep · 47 km away
  37. 2.87 km WSW of Ridgemark, California · 16415 days ago · 9 km deep · 19 km away
  38. 1.79 km NNW of Hollister, California · 16414 days ago · 10 km deep · 8 km away
  39. 1.610 km ESE of Gilroy, California · 16413 days ago · 5 km deep · 8 km away
  40. 2.021 km NE of Soledad, California · 16413 days ago · 6 km deep · 53 km away
  41. 1.82 km ESE of Tres Pinos, California · 16413 days ago · 8 km deep · 29 km away
  42. 1.528 km NE of San Lucas, California · 16412 days ago · 9 km deep · 98 km away
  43. 1.510 km ESE of Gilroy, California · 16412 days ago · 5 km deep · 8 km away
  44. 2.03 km ESE of Tres Pinos, California · 16412 days ago · 7 km deep · 29 km away
  45. 1.630 km SW of South Dos Palos, California · 16410 days ago · 1 km deep · 62 km away
  46. 2.46 km SSE of San Juan Bautista, California · 16410 days ago · 9 km deep · 17 km away
  47. 1.66 km SSE of San Juan Bautista, California · 16410 days ago · 9 km deep · 17 km away
  48. 1.78 km S of Gilroy, California · 16410 days ago · 7 km deep · 2 km away
  49. 1.621 km NE of Soledad, California · 16409 days ago · 3 km deep · 52 km away
  50. 2.130 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16409 days ago · 7 km deep · 61 km away
  51. 1.530 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16409 days ago · 8 km deep · 61 km away
  52. 2.714 km E of Seven Trees, California · 16407 days ago · 7 km deep · 42 km away
  53. 1.923 km SSW of South Dos Palos, California · 16406 days ago · 4 km deep · 70 km away
  54. 1.99 km NE of Gilroy, California · 16406 days ago · 8 km deep · 14 km away
  55. 2.624 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16405 days ago · 6 km deep · 70 km away
  56. 1.87 km SSW of Pescadero, California · 16405 days ago · 14 km deep · 81 km away
  57. 1.715 km NE of Morgan Hill, California · 16405 days ago · 7 km deep · 32 km away
  58. 2.310 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16404 days ago · 8 km deep · 47 km away
  59. 2.710 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16404 days ago · 8 km deep · 47 km away
  60. 1.63 km ENE of Grayson, California · 16404 days ago · -1 km deep · 79 km away

The first 60 of 128.

Before

  1. 3.131 km NE of Soledad, California · 16430 days ago · 8 km deep · 58 km away
  2. 2.123 km NE of Soledad, California · 16431 days ago · 9 km deep · 56 km away
  3. 1.927 km ENE of King City, California · 16431 days ago · 9 km deep · 89 km away
  4. 2.49 km NE of Gilroy, California · 16431 days ago · 9 km deep · 14 km away
  5. 2.39 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16431 days ago · 8 km deep · 47 km away
  6. 1.75 km SSW of Gilroy, California · 16432 days ago · 4 km deep · 5 km away
  7. 2.118 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16432 days ago · 5 km deep · 43 km away
  8. 1.85 km E of Fremont, California · 16432 days ago · 9 km deep · 75 km away
  9. 1.84 km SW of Tres Pinos, California · 16432 days ago · 8 km deep · 26 km away
  10. 1.64 km S of San Juan Bautista, California · 16434 days ago · 7 km deep · 15 km away
  11. 3.13 km S of San Juan Bautista, California · 16434 days ago · 7 km deep · 15 km away
  12. 3.23 km S of San Juan Bautista, California · 16434 days ago · 8 km deep · 15 km away
  13. 1.923 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16434 days ago · 3 km deep · 65 km away
  14. 2.330 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16434 days ago · 7 km deep · 62 km away
  15. 1.720 km W of Volta, California · 16435 days ago · 0 km deep · 38 km away
  16. 1.82 km E of Tres Pinos, California · 16435 days ago · 8 km deep · 28 km away
  17. 1.82 km NNE of Woodside, California · 16435 days ago · 5 km deep · 83 km away
  18. 2.44 km SW of Tres Pinos, California · 16435 days ago · 9 km deep · 26 km away
  19. 2.03 km SW of Davenport, California · 16436 days ago · 11 km deep · 60 km away
  20. 1.926 km SE of Big Sur, California · 16437 days ago · 5 km deep · 92 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1068006. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 10:41 AM UTC.