California earthquakes

M1.6 earthquake 6km ESE of Niland, CA

A magnitude 1.6 earthquake struck 6km ESE of Niland, CA on Sun, May 3, 1981, 3:44 PM PDT (22:44 UTC), 5 km (3 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M2.5 11km WNW of Calipatria, CA. This one was a foreshock.

Niland 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 (mh), micro
Local time
UTC
1981-05-03 22:44:38 UTC
Depth
5.1 km (3.2 mi), shallow
Epicenter
33.209° N, 115.462° 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, 0.8 km in depth
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
108°
Stations used
8

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 188 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 2.511km WNW of Calipatria, CA · 16563 days ago · 10 km deep · 17 km away
  2. 1.710km S of Salton City, CA · 16563 days ago · 9 km deep · 44 km away
  3. 1.56km ESE of Niland, CA · 16563 days ago · 4 km deep · 2 km away
  4. 1.77km WSW of Westmorland, CA · 16563 days ago · 11 km deep · 30 km away
  5. 2.78km NW of Calipatria, CA · 16563 days ago · 4 km deep · 10 km away
  6. 1.87km E of Imperial, CA · 16562 days ago · 13 km deep · 41 km away
  7. 1.514km S of Salton City, CA · 16561 days ago · 12 km deep · 45 km away
  8. 1.94km SSW of Salton City, CA · 16560 days ago · 5 km deep · 47 km away
  9. 1.813km WNW of Calipatria, CA · 16560 days ago · 7 km deep · 17 km away
  10. 2.114km SE of Puebla, B.C., MX · 16559 days ago · 6 km deep · 85 km away
  11. 1.75km N of Westmorland, CA · 16559 days ago · 9 km deep · 21 km away
  12. 1.85km SSW of Niland, CA · 16559 days ago · 8 km deep · 7 km away
  13. 1.75km NE of Indio, CA · 16558 days ago · 2 km deep · 90 km away
  14. 1.910km W of Calipatria, CA · 16557 days ago · 13 km deep · 17 km away
  15. 1.67km WSW of Westmorland, CA · 16557 days ago · 9 km deep · 31 km away
  16. 1.85km WNW of Westmorland, CA · 16557 days ago · 4 km deep · 26 km away
  17. 1.86km S of Salton City, CA · 16557 days ago · 3 km deep · 47 km away
  18. 1.734km NNE of North Shore, CA · 16556 days ago · 3 km deep · 72 km away
  19. 1.834km NNE of North Shore, CA · 16556 days ago · 3 km deep · 72 km away
  20. 1.727km SE of Ocotillo Wells, CA · 16556 days ago · 9 km deep · 49 km away
  21. 1.827km SE of Ocotillo Wells, CA · 16555 days ago · 8 km deep · 49 km away
  22. 1.62km S of Brawley, CA · 16554 days ago · 14 km deep · 29 km away
  23. 2.37km WSW of Calipatria, CA · 16554 days ago · 8 km deep · 16 km away
  24. 1.96km E of Niland, CA · 16554 days ago · 5 km deep · 3 km away
  25. 1.85km ESE of Niland, CA · 16554 days ago · 8 km deep · 2 km away
  26. 2.218km N of Borrego Springs, CA · 16553 days ago · 13 km deep · 88 km away
  27. 1.84km WNW of Westmorland, CA · 16552 days ago · 4 km deep · 26 km away
  28. 2.24km SSW of Salton City, CA · 16552 days ago · 5 km deep · 47 km away
  29. 2.25km S of Salton City, CA · 16551 days ago · 5 km deep · 47 km away
  30. 2.47km NW of Delta, B.C., MX · 16551 days ago · 6 km deep · 92 km away
  31. 1.76km S of Salton City, CA · 16551 days ago · 5 km deep · 46 km away
  32. 1.912km NNW of Delta, B.C., MX · 16550 days ago · 6 km deep · 86 km away
  33. 2.35km S of Salton City, CA · 16549 days ago · 5 km deep · 47 km away
  34. 1.88km SE of Ocotillo Wells, CA · 16549 days ago · 3 km deep · 57 km away
  35. 1.513km NNW of Delta, B.C., MX · 16548 days ago · 6 km deep · 86 km away
  36. 2.15km S of Salton City, CA · 16548 days ago · 5 km deep · 47 km away
  37. 1.75km SSW of Salton City, CA · 16548 days ago · 5 km deep · 47 km away
  38. 1.736km WNW of Desert Center, CA · 16547 days ago · 0 km deep · 73 km away
  39. 1.735km NNE of North Shore, CA · 16547 days ago · 1 km deep · 72 km away
  40. 1.62km SSW of Brawley, CA · 16547 days ago · 14 km deep · 28 km away
  41. 1.92km SSW of Brawley, CA · 16547 days ago · 15 km deep · 28 km away
  42. 1.67km NW of Progreso, B.C., MX · 16547 days ago · 6 km deep · 66 km away
  43. 1.527km SSW of Ocotillo Wells, CA · 16546 days ago · 6 km deep · 80 km away
  44. 1.57km WSW of Calipatria, CA · 16546 days ago · 11 km deep · 17 km away
  45. 1.631km SE of Twentynine Palms, CA · 16545 days ago · 2 km deep · 90 km away
  46. 2.15km SSW of Salton City, CA · 16543 days ago · 5 km deep · 48 km away
  47. 1.66km SSW of Salton City, CA · 16543 days ago · 4 km deep · 48 km away
  48. 1.634km NNE of North Shore, CA · 16543 days ago · 3 km deep · 72 km away
  49. 1.94km SW of Ocotillo, CA · 16542 days ago · 7 km deep · 76 km away
  50. 2.15km SSW of Salton City, CA · 16542 days ago · 5 km deep · 48 km away
  51. 1.97km S of Salton City, CA · 16542 days ago · 4 km deep · 47 km away
  52. 2.87km S of Salton City, CA · 16542 days ago · 5 km deep · 47 km away
  53. 1.87km S of Salton City, CA · 16542 days ago · 1 km deep · 46 km away
  54. 1.814km ENE of Borrego Springs, CA · 16541 days ago · 9 km deep · 74 km away
  55. 1.67km S of Salton City, CA · 16541 days ago · 4 km deep · 47 km away
  56. 2.07km S of Salton City, CA · 16541 days ago · 5 km deep · 47 km away
  57. 2.37km SSW of Salton City, CA · 16541 days ago · 5 km deep · 47 km away
  58. 1.56km SSW of Salton City, CA · 16541 days ago · 4 km deep · 48 km away
  59. 1.634km NNE of North Shore, CA · 16541 days ago · 4 km deep · 72 km away
  60. 1.66km SSW of Salton City, CA · 16540 days ago · 4 km deep · 48 km away

The first 60 of 188.

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event ci515293. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 9:34 PM UTC.