California earthquakes

M1.6 earthquake 10 km ESE of Gilroy, California

A magnitude 1.6 earthquake struck 10 km ESE of Gilroy, California on Wed, Oct 14, 1981, 10:54 PM PDT (05:54 UTC), 5 km (3 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M3.7 2 km WNW of Portola Valley, 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
1981-10-15 05:54:21 UTC
Depth
5.2 km (3.2 mi), shallow
Epicenter
36.972° N, 121.459° 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 0.1 km horizontally, 0.3 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.16
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
40°
Stations used
53

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 137 in the 60 days after this one and 73 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 2.021 km NE of Soledad, California · 16421 days ago · 6 km deep · 51 km away
  2. 1.82 km ESE of Tres Pinos, California · 16421 days ago · 8 km deep · 26 km away
  3. 1.528 km NE of San Lucas, California · 16420 days ago · 9 km deep · 96 km away
  4. 1.510 km ESE of Gilroy, California · 16420 days ago · 5 km deep · 0 km away
  5. 2.03 km ESE of Tres Pinos, California · 16420 days ago · 7 km deep · 26 km away
  6. 1.630 km SW of South Dos Palos, California · 16418 days ago · 1 km deep · 56 km away
  7. 2.46 km SSE of San Juan Bautista, California · 16418 days ago · 9 km deep · 21 km away
  8. 1.66 km SSE of San Juan Bautista, California · 16418 days ago · 9 km deep · 21 km away
  9. 1.78 km S of Gilroy, California · 16417 days ago · 7 km deep · 9 km away
  10. 1.621 km NE of Soledad, California · 16417 days ago · 3 km deep · 50 km away
  11. 2.130 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16416 days ago · 7 km deep · 58 km away
  12. 1.530 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16416 days ago · 8 km deep · 58 km away
  13. 2.714 km E of Seven Trees, California · 16415 days ago · 7 km deep · 42 km away
  14. 1.923 km SSW of South Dos Palos, California · 16414 days ago · 4 km deep · 63 km away
  15. 1.99 km NE of Gilroy, California · 16413 days ago · 8 km deep · 11 km away
  16. 2.624 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16413 days ago · 6 km deep · 68 km away
  17. 1.87 km SSW of Pescadero, California · 16413 days ago · 14 km deep · 87 km away
  18. 1.715 km NE of Morgan Hill, California · 16413 days ago · 7 km deep · 30 km away
  19. 2.310 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16412 days ago · 8 km deep · 47 km away
  20. 2.710 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16412 days ago · 8 km deep · 47 km away
  21. 1.63 km ENE of Grayson, California · 16412 days ago · -1 km deep · 73 km away
  22. 2.61 km NE of Tres Pinos, California · 16412 days ago · 8 km deep · 23 km away
  23. 2.41 km NE of Tres Pinos, California · 16412 days ago · 8 km deep · 23 km away
  24. 2.015 km WNW of Davenport, California · 16412 days ago · 1 km deep · 80 km away
  25. 2.013 km N of Hollister, California · 16411 days ago · 6 km deep · 7 km away
  26. 1.522 km NNE of Soledad, California · 16411 days ago · 2 km deep · 47 km away
  27. 2.28 km ENE of Gilroy, California · 16411 days ago · 8 km deep · 8 km away
  28. 2.22 km SSW of Hollister, California · 16411 days ago · 9 km deep · 16 km away
  29. 2.32 km S of Fairview, California · 16411 days ago · 6 km deep · 92 km away
  30. 1.712 km SE of Livermore, California · 16410 days ago · 6 km deep · 71 km away
  31. 3.14 km SSE of San Juan Bautista, California · 16410 days ago · 6 km deep · 19 km away
  32. 2.87 km S of Sunol, California · 16410 days ago · 9 km deep · 72 km away
  33. 1.628 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16410 days ago · 7 km deep · 60 km away
  34. 1.928 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16410 days ago · 7 km deep · 60 km away
  35. 2.013 km NNE of Hollister, California · 16409 days ago · 5 km deep · 8 km away
  36. 2.38 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16409 days ago · 8 km deep · 49 km away
  37. 1.823 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16408 days ago · 6 km deep · 68 km away
  38. 2.44 km W of San Juan Bautista, California · 16407 days ago · 4 km deep · 18 km away
  39. 2.02 km E of Ladera, California · 16407 days ago · 4 km deep · 78 km away
  40. 1.62 km SE of Ladera, California · 16407 days ago · 2 km deep · 78 km away
  41. 2.32 km SSW of San Juan Bautista, California · 16405 days ago · 5 km deep · 18 km away
  42. 1.824 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16405 days ago · 5 km deep · 69 km away
  43. 2.020 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16404 days ago · 6 km deep · 41 km away
  44. 1.75 km SW of Gilroy, California · 16404 days ago · 5 km deep · 14 km away
  45. 1.93 km S of Fairview, California · 16404 days ago · 4 km deep · 91 km away
  46. 2.33 km S of Fairview, California · 16403 days ago · 4 km deep · 91 km away
  47. 2.424 km NE of King City, California · 16402 days ago · 9 km deep · 81 km away
  48. 1.84 km WNW of San Juan Bautista, California · 16402 days ago · 5 km deep · 17 km away
  49. 2.5Central California · 16401 days ago · 2 km deep · 32 km away
  50. 1.95 km SW of Ridgemark, California · 16401 days ago · 6 km deep · 23 km away
  51. 1.95 km SE of Tres Pinos, California · 16401 days ago · 8 km deep · 29 km away
  52. 2.024 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16401 days ago · 6 km deep · 72 km away
  53. 2.28 km ENE of Milpitas, California · 16401 days ago · 7 km deep · 63 km away
  54. 2.01 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 16400 days ago · 4 km deep · 25 km away
  55. 1.83 km NW of Carmel Valley Village, California · 16399 days ago · 10 km deep · 57 km away
  56. 2.27 km E of East Foothills, California · 16398 days ago · 7 km deep · 52 km away
  57. 1.815 km S of Pescadero, California · 16398 days ago · 5 km deep · 83 km away
  58. 2.42 km SSW of San Juan Bautista, California · 16397 days ago · 6 km deep · 18 km away
  59. 2.68 km SSW of Tres Pinos, California · 16396 days ago · 1 km deep · 31 km away
  60. 2.022 km NE of San Lucas, California · 16396 days ago · 7 km deep · 95 km away

The first 60 of 137.

Before

  1. 1.79 km NNW of Hollister, California · 16421 days ago · 10 km deep · 5 km away
  2. 2.87 km WSW of Ridgemark, California · 16422 days ago · 9 km deep · 20 km away
  3. 2.19 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16423 days ago · 7 km deep · 48 km away
  4. 1.732 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16425 days ago · 12 km deep · 79 km away
  5. 1.923 km NE of King City, California · 16427 days ago · 4 km deep · 83 km away
  6. 1.715 km WNW of Davenport, California · 16427 days ago · 4 km deep · 79 km away
  7. 1.76 km NE of East Foothills, California · 16427 days ago · 8 km deep · 57 km away
  8. 2.07 km WSW of Ridgemark, California · 16427 days ago · 9 km deep · 20 km away
  9. 2.013 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 16427 days ago · 2 km deep · 37 km away
  10. 1.66 km SW of Gilroy, California · 16427 days ago · 5 km deep · 15 km away
  11. 1.625 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16428 days ago · 1 km deep · 70 km away
  12. 1.67 km WSW of Ridgemark, California · 16428 days ago · 9 km deep · 20 km away
  13. 1.57 km WSW of Ridgemark, California · 16428 days ago · 9 km deep · 20 km away
  14. 1.621 km NE of Soledad, California · 16428 days ago · 3 km deep · 52 km away
  15. 1.94 km SSE of San Juan Bautista, California · 16428 days ago · 7 km deep · 19 km away
  16. 2.227 km E of Tres Pinos, California · 16429 days ago · 3 km deep · 47 km away
  17. 2.123 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16430 days ago · 5 km deep · 61 km away
  18. 2.110 km SSW of Tracy, California · 16430 days ago · 9 km deep · 75 km away
  19. 1.86 km SE of Lexington Hills, California · 16430 days ago · 13 km deep · 44 km away
  20. 2.010 km SW of Ridgemark, California · 16430 days ago · 10 km deep · 24 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1068640. Read Wed, Sep 30, 2026, 3:20 AM UTC.