California earthquakes

M1.6 earthquake 16km S of Joshua Tree, CA

A magnitude 1.6 earthquake struck 16km S of Joshua Tree, CA on Sat, Jul 4, 1981, 11:36 PM PDT (06:36 UTC), 3 km (2 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M1.7 34km NNE of North Shore, CA. 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
1.6 (mh), micro
Local time
UTC
1981-07-05 06:36:36 UTC
Depth
3.3 km (2.0 mi), shallow
Epicenter
33.990° N, 116.296° 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 0.4 km horizontally, 0.6 km in depth
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
99°
Stations used
11

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 184 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 1.624km ESE of Anza, CA · 16507 days ago · 11 km deep · 59 km away
  2. 1.52km NW of Cabazon, CA · 16507 days ago · 16 km deep · 47 km away
  3. 1.533km NNW of Joshua Tree, CA · 16506 days ago · 6 km deep · 49 km away
  4. 1.734km NNE of North Shore, CA · 16506 days ago · 6 km deep · 52 km away
  5. 1.534km NNE of North Shore, CA · 16506 days ago · 3 km deep · 52 km away
  6. 1.912km ENE of Thermal, CA · 16504 days ago · 4 km deep · 43 km away
  7. 1.58km NE of Borrego Springs, CA · 16504 days ago · 3 km deep · 75 km away
  8. 1.57km SW of Salton City, CA · 16503 days ago · 3 km deep · 86 km away
  9. 3.11km SW of Anza, CA · 16503 days ago · 7 km deep · 60 km away
  10. 1.69km NE of Aguanga, CA · 16503 days ago · 3 km deep · 71 km away
  11. 1.816km S of Amboy, CA · 16502 days ago · 5 km deep · 68 km away
  12. 2.012km ENE of Coachella, CA · 16502 days ago · 3 km deep · 36 km away
  13. 1.56km SSW of Salton City, CA · 16502 days ago · 4 km deep · 88 km away
  14. 2.811km ENE of Coachella, CA · 16502 days ago · 2 km deep · 37 km away
  15. 1.511km NNW of Borrego Springs, CA · 16501 days ago · 3 km deep · 71 km away
  16. 1.72km ESE of Loma Linda, CA · 16501 days ago · 16 km deep · 87 km away
  17. 2.46km S of Salton City, CA · 16501 days ago · 6 km deep · 88 km away
  18. 1.631km SE of Twentynine Palms, CA · 16500 days ago · 4 km deep · 41 km away
  19. 1.511km NE of Aguanga, CA · 16499 days ago · 3 km deep · 70 km away
  20. 1.710km ENE of Borrego Springs, CA · 16499 days ago · 9 km deep · 77 km away
  21. 2.010km NE of Aguanga, CA · 16499 days ago · 4 km deep · 71 km away
  22. 1.511km NW of Julian, CA · 16499 days ago · 17 km deep · 100 km away
  23. 1.76km S of Salton City, CA · 16498 days ago · 5 km deep · 89 km away
  24. 1.511km NE of Aguanga, CA · 16498 days ago · 2 km deep · 70 km away
  25. 1.58km ENE of Indio, CA · 16498 days ago · 4 km deep · 29 km away
  26. 1.86km WSW of Salton City, CA · 16497 days ago · 2 km deep · 84 km away
  27. 2.410km NE of Aguanga, CA · 16497 days ago · 0 km deep · 71 km away
  28. 1.610km NE of Aguanga, CA · 16497 days ago · 1 km deep · 71 km away
  29. 1.710km NNE of Borrego Springs, CA · 16496 days ago · 12 km deep · 72 km away
  30. 2.68km ENE of Aguanga, CA · 16496 days ago · 4 km deep · 73 km away
  31. 2.07km NE of Aguanga, CA · 16496 days ago · 0 km deep · 74 km away
  32. 1.65km NE of Anza, CA · 16495 days ago · 13 km deep · 54 km away
  33. 1.65km NE of Anza, CA · 16495 days ago · 13 km deep · 54 km away
  34. 2.012km SSW of Idyllwild, CA · 16494 days ago · 12 km deep · 59 km away
  35. 1.67km SSW of Salton City, CA · 16494 days ago · 3 km deep · 87 km away
  36. 1.618km N of Borrego Springs, CA · 16494 days ago · 11 km deep · 64 km away
  37. 2.811km SW of Morongo Valley, CA · 16493 days ago · 14 km deep · 35 km away
  38. 1.511km SW of Morongo Valley, CA · 16493 days ago · 16 km deep · 34 km away
  39. 1.55km E of Palomar Observatory, CA · 16493 days ago · 3 km deep · 86 km away
  40. 1.911km NE of Lake Arrowhead, CA · 16493 days ago · 1 km deep · 82 km away
  41. 3.411km ENE of Julian, CA · 16491 days ago · 10 km deep · 97 km away
  42. 1.911km NE of Julian, CA · 16491 days ago · 9 km deep · 96 km away
  43. 1.610km NE of Aguanga, CA · 16491 days ago · 3 km deep · 70 km away
  44. 1.711km WSW of Anza, CA · 16491 days ago · 1 km deep · 70 km away
  45. 1.810km NE of Aguanga, CA · 16491 days ago · 2 km deep · 70 km away
  46. 2.05km WSW of Ocotillo Wells, CA · 16491 days ago · 6 km deep · 97 km away
  47. 1.510km WSW of Anza, CA · 16491 days ago · 9 km deep · 69 km away
  48. 1.54km WSW of Ocotillo Wells, CA · 16490 days ago · 6 km deep · 96 km away
  49. 1.56km S of Salton City, CA · 16489 days ago · 3 km deep · 88 km away
  50. 1.734km NNE of North Shore, CA · 16489 days ago · 4 km deep · 52 km away
  51. 1.622km NNW of Yucca Valley, CA · 16489 days ago · 1 km deep · 40 km away
  52. 1.634km NNE of North Shore, CA · 16488 days ago · 1 km deep · 51 km away
  53. 1.534km NNE of North Shore, CA · 16488 days ago · 4 km deep · 52 km away
  54. 1.62km NW of Palomar Observatory, CA · 16487 days ago · 3 km deep · 88 km away
  55. 1.825km NW of Desert Center, CA · 16486 days ago · 5 km deep · 65 km away
  56. 2.522km N of Yucca Valley, CA · 16486 days ago · -1 km deep · 39 km away
  57. 1.810km NNE of Borrego Springs, CA · 16486 days ago · 13 km deep · 72 km away
  58. 1.72km WNW of Highland, CA · 16485 days ago · 3 km deep · 87 km away
  59. 2.011km NNE of Julian, CA · 16485 days ago · 11 km deep · 95 km away
  60. 1.626km NE of Thermal, CA · 16485 days ago · 0 km deep · 41 km away

The first 60 of 184.

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event ci518921. Read Wed, Sep 23, 2026, 5:34 AM UTC.