California earthquakes

M1.5 earthquake 9km NW of Ocotillo, CA

A magnitude 1.5 earthquake struck 9km NW of Ocotillo, CA on Thu, Jul 23, 1981, 12:35 PM PDT (19:35 UTC), 5 km (3 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M4.3 19 km N of Fraccionamiento del Valle, Mexico. This one was a foreshock.

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Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

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The earthquake

Magnitude
1.5 (Mh), micro
Magnitude from
Southern California Seismic Network
Local time
UTC
1981-07-23 19:35:58 UTC
Depth
4.6 km (2.9 mi), shallow
Epicenter
32.786° N, 116.062° 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 1.1 km horizontally, 0.7 km in depth
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
272°, poorly surrounded by stations
Stations used
7

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 178 in the 60 days after this one and 127 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 1.86km WSW of Salton City, CA · 16507 days ago · 2 km deep · 55 km away
  2. 4.319 km N of Fraccionamiento del Valle, Mexico · 16506 days ago · 10 km deep · 81 km away
  3. 2.731km ENE of Ensenada, B.C., MX · 16506 days ago · 6 km deep · 90 km away
  4. 2.230km NE of Ensenada, B.C., MX · 16506 days ago · 6 km deep · 89 km away
  5. 1.834km NE of Ensenada, B.C., MX · 16506 days ago · 6 km deep · 85 km away
  6. 2.133km NE of Ensenada, B.C., MX · 16506 days ago · 6 km deep · 87 km away
  7. 1.710km NNE of Borrego Springs, CA · 16506 days ago · 12 km deep · 67 km away
  8. 2.011km SE of Puebla, B.C., MX · 16504 days ago · 6 km deep · 80 km away
  9. 2.139km NE of Ensenada, B.C., MX · 16504 days ago · 6 km deep · 77 km away
  10. 1.67km SSW of Salton City, CA · 16504 days ago · 3 km deep · 51 km away
  11. 1.618km N of Borrego Springs, CA · 16503 days ago · 11 km deep · 77 km away
  12. 2.19km NW of Delta, B.C., MX · 16503 days ago · 6 km deep · 86 km away
  13. 1.55km E of Palomar Observatory, CA · 16503 days ago · 3 km deep · 94 km away
  14. 1.525km ESE of Ocotillo Wells, CA · 16501 days ago · 9 km deep · 31 km away
  15. 1.96km WSW of Brawley, CA · 16501 days ago · 15 km deep · 48 km away
  16. 3.411km ENE of Julian, CA · 16501 days ago · 10 km deep · 56 km away
  17. 1.911km NE of Julian, CA · 16501 days ago · 9 km deep · 59 km away
  18. 2.026km NNE of Ensenada, B.C., MX · 16501 days ago · 6 km deep · 88 km away
  19. 2.330km NNE of Ensenada, B.C., MX · 16501 days ago · 6 km deep · 85 km away
  20. 2.05km WSW of Ocotillo Wells, CA · 16500 days ago · 6 km deep · 39 km away
  21. 1.54km WSW of Ocotillo Wells, CA · 16500 days ago · 6 km deep · 40 km away
  22. 1.56km S of Salton City, CA · 16499 days ago · 3 km deep · 52 km away
  23. 2.036km NE of Ensenada, B.C., MX · 16498 days ago · 6 km deep · 81 km away
  24. 2.435km NE of Ensenada, B.C., MX · 16498 days ago · 6 km deep · 82 km away
  25. 1.612km SW of Westmorland, CA · 16498 days ago · 10 km deep · 38 km away
  26. 1.62km NW of Palomar Observatory, CA · 16497 days ago · 3 km deep · 100 km away
  27. 1.912km N of Delta, B.C., MX · 16497 days ago · 6 km deep · 90 km away
  28. 1.810km NNE of Borrego Springs, CA · 16495 days ago · 13 km deep · 67 km away
  29. 3.036km NE of Ensenada, B.C., MX · 16495 days ago · 6 km deep · 83 km away
  30. 2.011km NNE of Julian, CA · 16495 days ago · 11 km deep · 63 km away
  31. 1.713km SW of Westmorland, CA · 16494 days ago · 3 km deep · 37 km away
  32. 1.510km NNE of Julian, CA · 16494 days ago · 15 km deep · 61 km away
  33. 1.621km ESE of Anza, CA · 16493 days ago · 6 km deep · 87 km away
  34. 1.813km NNE of Pine Valley, CA · 16493 days ago · 1 km deep · 41 km away
  35. 1.716km W of Alberto Oviedo Mota, B.C., MX · 16492 days ago · 6 km deep · 91 km away
  36. 3.013km WSW of Imperial, CA · 16491 days ago · 22 km deep · 34 km away
  37. 1.935km ENE of Ensenada, B.C., MX · 16490 days ago · 6 km deep · 87 km away
  38. 1.52km SSW of Brawley, CA · 16490 days ago · 15 km deep · 53 km away
  39. 1.73km SSW of Brawley, CA · 16489 days ago · 12 km deep · 52 km away
  40. 1.68km SW of Salton City, CA · 16489 days ago · 3 km deep · 51 km away
  41. 1.914km W of El Centro, CA · 16489 days ago · 14 km deep · 33 km away
  42. 1.811km ENE of Julian, CA · 16488 days ago · 12 km deep · 55 km away
  43. 2.316km ESE of Campo, CA · 16487 days ago · 2 km deep · 35 km away
  44. 1.512km S of Salton City, CA · 16486 days ago · 8 km deep · 47 km away
  45. 1.712km SE of Puebla, B.C., MX · 16485 days ago · 6 km deep · 82 km away
  46. 1.54km SSW of Salton City, CA · 16484 days ago · 5 km deep · 54 km away
  47. 1.921km ESE of Anza, CA · 16484 days ago · 4 km deep · 85 km away
  48. 1.815km S of Salton City, CA · 16484 days ago · 12 km deep · 44 km away
  49. 2.014km N of Borrego Springs, CA · 16484 days ago · 3 km deep · 73 km away
  50. 1.715km N of Borrego Springs, CA · 16484 days ago · 3 km deep · 74 km away
  51. 1.812km SSE of Anza, CA · 16483 days ago · 9 km deep · 91 km away
  52. 1.84km S of Lake Henshaw, CA · 16483 days ago · 17 km deep · 80 km away
  53. 2.59km S of La Quinta, CA · 16483 days ago · 3 km deep · 91 km away
  54. 1.515km N of Borrego Springs, CA · 16482 days ago · 3 km deep · 73 km away
  55. 1.715km N of Borrego Springs, CA · 16482 days ago · 3 km deep · 73 km away
  56. 1.64km NNW of Westmorland, CA · 16482 days ago · 11 km deep · 51 km away
  57. 1.617km ESE of Campo, CA · 16482 days ago · 7 km deep · 36 km away
  58. 1.514km N of Borrego Springs, CA · 16482 days ago · 14 km deep · 73 km away
  59. 2.514km N of Borrego Springs, CA · 16481 days ago · 12 km deep · 72 km away
  60. 2.44km SE of Westmorland, CA · 16481 days ago · 5 km deep · 50 km away

The first 60 of 178.

Before

  1. 1.76km S of Salton City, CA · 16508 days ago · 5 km deep · 52 km away
  2. 1.511km NW of Julian, CA · 16508 days ago · 17 km deep · 71 km away
  3. 2.218km ESE of Julian, CA · 16508 days ago · 7 km deep · 44 km away
  4. 1.710km ENE of Borrego Springs, CA · 16508 days ago · 9 km deep · 61 km away
  5. 1.55km S of Brawley, CA · 16510 days ago · 14 km deep · 52 km away
  6. 2.46km S of Salton City, CA · 16510 days ago · 6 km deep · 52 km away
  7. 1.511km NNW of Borrego Springs, CA · 16511 days ago · 3 km deep · 71 km away
  8. 1.56km SSW of Salton City, CA · 16512 days ago · 4 km deep · 52 km away
  9. 1.78km NNW of Delta, B.C., MX · 16512 days ago · 6 km deep · 88 km away
  10. 1.513km W of Niland, CA · 16512 days ago · 5 km deep · 64 km away
  11. 2.121km W of Westmorland, CA · 16512 days ago · 4 km deep · 32 km away
  12. 2.316km W of Imperial, CA · 16513 days ago · 14 km deep · 30 km away
  13. 1.57km SW of Salton City, CA · 16513 days ago · 3 km deep · 52 km away
  14. 1.58km NE of Borrego Springs, CA · 16513 days ago · 3 km deep · 63 km away
  15. 1.912km ENE of Thermal, CA · 16514 days ago · 4 km deep · 100 km away
  16. 2.016km W of Westmorland, CA · 16514 days ago · 5 km deep · 36 km away
  17. 1.622km WSW of Westmorland, CA · 16515 days ago · 7 km deep · 28 km away
  18. 1.713km WNW of Progreso, B.C., MX · 16515 days ago · 12 km deep · 37 km away
  19. 2.034km NE of Ensenada, B.C., MX · 16515 days ago · 6 km deep · 83 km away
  20. 2.519km SW of Ocotillo, CA · 16516 days ago · 14 km deep · 20 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event ci519845. Read Fri, Oct 2, 2026, 9:48 PM UTC.