California earthquakes

M2.1 earthquake 10km WSW of Imperial, CA

A magnitude 2.1 earthquake struck 10km WSW of Imperial, CA on Fri, Dec 18, 1981, 3:40 PM PST (23:40 UTC), 15 km (9 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M3.3 6km NNE of San Luis Rio Colorado, Son., MX. 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
2.1 (mc), micro
Local time
UTC
1981-12-18 23:40:38 UTC
Depth
15.0 km (9.3 mi), shallow
Epicenter
32.816° N, 115.673° 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 0.7 km horizontally, 0.9 km in depth
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
86°
Stations used
20

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 93 in the 60 days after this one and 48 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 2.311km SW of Puebla, B.C., MX · 16355 days ago · 6 km deep · 42 km away
  2. 1.727km SSW of Ocotillo Wells, CA · 16355 days ago · 5 km deep · 52 km away
  3. 1.62km E of Progreso, B.C., MX · 16354 days ago · 10 km deep · 28 km away
  4. 1.726km SSW of Ocotillo Wells, CA · 16354 days ago · 5 km deep · 59 km away
  5. 2.511km N of Borrego Springs, CA · 16351 days ago · 10 km deep · 87 km away
  6. 1.611km SE of Bombay Beach, CA · 16351 days ago · 2 km deep · 51 km away
  7. 1.811km WNW of Westmorland, CA · 16350 days ago · 7 km deep · 29 km away
  8. 1.926km SSW of Ocotillo Wells, CA · 16350 days ago · 2 km deep · 58 km away
  9. 2.012km SW of Salton City, CA · 16349 days ago · 8 km deep · 59 km away
  10. 2.812km NNE of Ocotillo Wells, CA · 16349 days ago · 6 km deep · 59 km away
  11. 1.711km NNE of Ocotillo Wells, CA · 16349 days ago · 4 km deep · 59 km away
  12. 1.725km WSW of Westmorland, CA · 16348 days ago · 8 km deep · 26 km away
  13. 1.76km NE of Imperial, CA · 16346 days ago · 15 km deep · 16 km away
  14. 1.812km NW of Delta, B.C., MX · 16345 days ago · 6 km deep · 57 km away
  15. 1.820km W of Progreso, B.C., MX · 16345 days ago · 5 km deep · 30 km away
  16. 1.821km W of Progreso, B.C., MX · 16345 days ago · 4 km deep · 30 km away
  17. 1.948km ENE of Ensenada, B.C., MX · 16344 days ago · 6 km deep · 94 km away
  18. 1.718km SSW of Ocotillo Wells, CA · 16343 days ago · 4 km deep · 57 km away
  19. 1.75km ENE of Heber, CA · 16343 days ago · 6 km deep · 19 km away
  20. 2.112km WSW of Ocotillo, CA · 16342 days ago · 5 km deep · 44 km away
  21. 2.126km SSW of Ocotillo Wells, CA · 16341 days ago · 5 km deep · 59 km away
  22. 2.325km SSW of Ocotillo Wells, CA · 16341 days ago · 5 km deep · 59 km away
  23. 3.040km NNW of Los Algodones, B.C., MX · 16341 days ago · 6 km deep · 83 km away
  24. 2.321km NNW of Borrego Springs, CA · 16340 days ago · 10 km deep · 98 km away
  25. 1.66km NE of Ocotillo Wells, CA · 16339 days ago · 10 km deep · 56 km away
  26. 1.910km ESE of North Shore, CA · 16338 days ago · 10 km deep · 75 km away
  27. 1.93km N of Julian, CA · 16338 days ago · 10 km deep · 93 km away
  28. 1.69km N of Westmorland, CA · 16337 days ago · 6 km deep · 33 km away
  29. 1.911km SW of Salton City, CA · 16336 days ago · 6 km deep · 59 km away
  30. 1.812km E of Borrego Springs, CA · 16335 days ago · 14 km deep · 71 km away
  31. 1.76km SE of Bombay Beach, CA · 16334 days ago · 3 km deep · 55 km away
  32. 1.76km SE of Bombay Beach, CA · 16333 days ago · 3 km deep · 55 km away
  33. 1.926km SSW of Ocotillo Wells, CA · 16332 days ago · 5 km deep · 59 km away
  34. 1.89km NNE of Borrego Springs, CA · 16332 days ago · 9 km deep · 86 km away
  35. 2.017km SW of Ocotillo Wells, CA · 16331 days ago · 10 km deep · 59 km away
  36. 2.811km SSE of Alberto Oviedo Mota, B.C., MX · 16330 days ago · 6 km deep · 92 km away
  37. 1.68km SW of Holtville, CA · 16330 days ago · 10 km deep · 24 km away
  38. 2.222km N of Borrego Springs, CA · 16329 days ago · 8 km deep · 97 km away
  39. 2.650km SSW of Progreso, B.C., MX · 16329 days ago · 6 km deep · 74 km away
  40. 1.818km SE of Salton City, CA · 16328 days ago · 6 km deep · 44 km away
  41. 1.926km SSW of Ocotillo Wells, CA · 16327 days ago · 6 km deep · 58 km away
  42. 2.922km WSW of Westmorland, CA · 16326 days ago · 7 km deep · 19 km away
  43. 2.921km WSW of Westmorland, CA · 16326 days ago · 9 km deep · 19 km away
  44. 2.35km S of Salton City, CA · 16326 days ago · 3 km deep · 55 km away
  45. 2.18km SW of Holtville, CA · 16326 days ago · 8 km deep · 22 km away
  46. 2.847km SSW of Progreso, B.C., MX · 16325 days ago · 6 km deep · 71 km away
  47. 2.249km SSW of Progreso, B.C., MX · 16325 days ago · 6 km deep · 72 km away
  48. 2.413km NNE of Pine Valley, CA · 16324 days ago · 5 km deep · 76 km away
  49. 2.448km SSW of Progreso, B.C., MX · 16324 days ago · 6 km deep · 72 km away
  50. 2.210km NNW of Borrego Springs, CA · 16323 days ago · 5 km deep · 91 km away
  51. 2.39km S of Ocotillo Wells, CA · 16323 days ago · 10 km deep · 52 km away
  52. 2.15km N of Bombay Beach, CA · 16322 days ago · 4 km deep · 65 km away
  53. 1.926km WSW of Westmorland, CA · 16320 days ago · 5 km deep · 28 km away
  54. 1.66km SE of Bombay Beach, CA · 16320 days ago · 1 km deep · 55 km away
  55. 1.720km ESE of Julian, CA · 16320 days ago · 3 km deep · 71 km away
  56. 2.59km S of Borrego Springs, CA · 16319 days ago · 8 km deep · 76 km away
  57. 2.218km SSW of Ocotillo Wells, CA · 16319 days ago · 5 km deep · 56 km away
  58. 1.711km NNE of Ocotillo Wells, CA · 16318 days ago · 11 km deep · 60 km away
  59. 1.918km SSW of Ocotillo Wells, CA · 16318 days ago · 4 km deep · 56 km away
  60. 3.011km NNE of Ocotillo Wells, CA · 16318 days ago · 8 km deep · 60 km away

The first 60 of 93.

Before

  1. 1.620km ESE of Julian, CA · 16356 days ago · 1 km deep · 72 km away
  2. 2.75km SSW of Salton City, CA · 16359 days ago · 4 km deep · 56 km away
  3. 1.718km S of Borrego Springs, CA · 16360 days ago · 7 km deep · 75 km away
  4. 1.822km ESE of Julian, CA · 16360 days ago · 3 km deep · 70 km away
  5. 1.66km WSW of Westmorland, CA · 16361 days ago · 8 km deep · 22 km away
  6. 1.523km ENE of Pine Valley, CA · 16361 days ago · 6 km deep · 62 km away
  7. 1.53km NW of Julian, CA · 16361 days ago · 15 km deep · 94 km away
  8. 1.512km E of Borrego Springs, CA · 16364 days ago · 2 km deep · 72 km away
  9. 1.954km SSW of Progreso, B.C., MX · 16364 days ago · 6 km deep · 76 km away
  10. 2.139km NE of Ensenada, B.C., MX · 16364 days ago · 6 km deep · 99 km away
  11. 1.59km SE of Bombay Beach, CA · 16365 days ago · 5 km deep · 53 km away
  12. 2.77km NNE of Borrego Springs, CA · 16366 days ago · 12 km deep · 83 km away
  13. 1.711km W of Calipatria, CA · 16369 days ago · 11 km deep · 36 km away
  14. 2.010km NNE of Ocotillo Wells, CA · 16369 days ago · 7 km deep · 59 km away
  15. 1.710km NE of Borrego Springs, CA · 16371 days ago · 10 km deep · 83 km away
  16. 1.63km WNW of Brawley, CA · 16372 days ago · 10 km deep · 23 km away
  17. 1.814km NNW of Delta, B.C., MX · 16373 days ago · 6 km deep · 56 km away
  18. 1.611km W of Calipatria, CA · 16373 days ago · 10 km deep · 36 km away
  19. 1.68km W of Calipatria, CA · 16373 days ago · 10 km deep · 35 km away
  20. 1.710km W of Calipatria, CA · 16373 days ago · 10 km deep · 35 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event ci103608. Read Tue, Sep 29, 2026, 5:43 PM UTC.