California earthquakes

M2.3 earthquake 4 km SSW of Kingvale, California

A magnitude 2.3 earthquake struck 4 km SSW of Kingvale, California on Sat, Jan 31, 1981, 3:44 PM PST (23:44 UTC), 18 km (11 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M2.9 0 km W of Mesa Vista, California. 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
2.3 (ma), micro
Local time
UTC
1981-01-31 23:44:43 UTC
Depth
17.6 km (10.9 mi), shallow
Epicenter
39.283° N, 120.456° 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 1.7 km horizontally, 2.7 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.12
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
279°, poorly surrounded by stations
Stations used
16

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 40 in the 60 days after this one and 20 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 2.310 km SSW of Kingvale, California · 16668 days ago · 12 km deep · 6 km away
  2. 1.63 km S of East Quincy, California · 16664 days ago · 8 km deep · 78 km away
  3. 2.24 km WSW of Whitehawk, California · 16664 days ago · 4 km deep · 48 km away
  4. 1.810 km WSW of Alpine Village, California · 16662 days ago · 0 km deep · 77 km away
  5. 2.18 km SSW of Kingvale, California · 16656 days ago · 14 km deep · 3 km away
  6. 1.95 km WSW of Whitehawk, California · 16655 days ago · 0 km deep · 48 km away
  7. 2.19 km S of East Quincy, California · 16655 days ago · 2 km deep · 74 km away
  8. 2.04 km SE of Palermo, California · 16655 days ago · 6 km deep · 91 km away
  9. 2.90 km W of Mesa Vista, California · 16653 days ago · 2 km deep · 77 km away
  10. 2.02 km SSE of Cromberg, California · 16653 days ago · -1 km deep · 64 km away
  11. 3.07 km SW of Whitehawk, California · 16652 days ago · -1 km deep · 45 km away
  12. 2.04 km SW of Whitehawk, California · 16652 days ago · 0 km deep · 48 km away
  13. 2.47 km N of Little Grass Valley, California · 16651 days ago · 21 km deep · 71 km away
  14. 2.29 km WSW of Markleeville, California · 16651 days ago · 3 km deep · 85 km away
  15. 1.810 km SE of Soda Springs, California · 16650 days ago · 32 km deep · 14 km away
  16. 1.97 km E of Cromberg, California · 16647 days ago · 5 km deep · 65 km away
  17. 2.58 km SW of Clio, California · 16640 days ago · 14 km deep · 48 km away
  18. 1.95 km SSW of Kingvale, California · 16640 days ago · 7 km deep · 1 km away
  19. 1.59 km WSW of Markleeville, California · 16638 days ago · 2 km deep · 86 km away
  20. 1.811 km NNE of Bear Valley, California · 16635 days ago · 0 km deep · 91 km away
  21. 1.810 km NNE of Bear Valley, California · 16635 days ago · 13 km deep · 91 km away
  22. 2.7Northern California · 16630 days ago · 7 km deep · 92 km away
  23. 1.94 km WNW of Alpine Village, California · 16630 days ago · 11 km deep · 75 km away
  24. 1.89 km SE of Alta, California · 16629 days ago · 0 km deep · 29 km away
  25. 1.63 km SSW of Soda Springs, California · 16628 days ago · 15 km deep · 5 km away
  26. 2.74 km NW of Lincoln, California · 16627 days ago · 10 km deep · 86 km away
  27. 2.34 km SE of Palermo, California · 16627 days ago · 8 km deep · 91 km away
  28. 3.04 km NW of Lincoln, California · 16627 days ago · 9 km deep · 86 km away
  29. 1.69 km WNW of Plumas Eureka (historical), California · 16617 days ago · 7 km deep · 65 km away
  30. 3.58 km NNW of Truckee, California · 16615 days ago · 9 km deep · 23 km away
  31. 2.211 km NW of Truckee, California · 16615 days ago · 7 km deep · 21 km away
  32. 2.011 km NNW of Truckee, California · 16615 days ago · 11 km deep · 23 km away
  33. 2.011 km N of Truckee, California · 16615 days ago · 7 km deep · 29 km away
  34. 2.29 km NNW of Truckee, California · 16615 days ago · 12 km deep · 25 km away
  35. 2.39 km NNW of Truckee, California · 16615 days ago · 14 km deep · 23 km away
  36. 3.88 km NNW of Truckee, California · 16615 days ago · 5 km deep · 25 km away
  37. 2.39 km NNW of Truckee, California · 16615 days ago · 11 km deep · 24 km away
  38. 1.710 km NNW of Truckee, California · 16615 days ago · 13 km deep · 22 km away
  39. 2.99 km NW of Truckee, California · 16615 days ago · 14 km deep · 19 km away
  40. 2.08 km WNW of Truckee, California · 16611 days ago · 25 km deep · 17 km away

Before

  1. 1.57 km SSW of Kingvale, California · 16671 days ago · 6 km deep · 3 km away
  2. 1.64 km SW of Whitehawk, California · 16671 days ago · 3 km deep · 47 km away
  3. 2.18 km SW of Whitehawk, California · 16673 days ago · 26 km deep · 44 km away
  4. 3.18 km SW of Whitehawk, California · 16674 days ago · 3 km deep · 46 km away
  5. 3.17 km SW of Whitehawk, California · 16674 days ago · 4 km deep · 46 km away
  6. 1.56 km S of Kingvale, California · 16681 days ago · 10 km deep · 2 km away
  7. 1.78 km SW of Clio, California · 16683 days ago · 14 km deep · 48 km away
  8. 1.65 km SW of Whitehawk, California · 16683 days ago · 8 km deep · 47 km away
  9. 1.74 km WSW of Whitehawk, California · 16687 days ago · 7 km deep · 49 km away
  10. 2.86 km SSW of Kingvale, California · 16691 days ago · 12 km deep · 2 km away
  11. 2.11 km S of Whitehawk, California · 16694 days ago · -1 km deep · 48 km away
  12. 2.66 km SSW of Meadow Valley, California · 16697 days ago · 17 km deep · 85 km away
  13. 1.66 km SW of Whitehawk, California · 16698 days ago · 6 km deep · 47 km away
  14. 3.22 km SW of Whitehawk, California · 16698 days ago · 0 km deep · 48 km away
  15. 1.73 km E of Whitehawk, California · 16698 days ago · 9 km deep · 50 km away
  16. 2.69 km SSW of Kingvale, California · 16699 days ago · 15 km deep · 5 km away
  17. 2.73 km SW of Whitehawk, California · 16699 days ago · 4 km deep · 48 km away
  18. 2.97 km WSW of Whitehawk, California · 16699 days ago · 8 km deep · 47 km away
  19. 2.09 km SW of Whitehawk, California · 16699 days ago · 7 km deep · 45 km away
  20. 3.66 km SW of Whitehawk, California · 16699 days ago · 0 km deep · 46 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1059817. Read Wed, Sep 23, 2026, 3:21 AM UTC.