California earthquakes

M2.4 earthquake 18km N of Ocotillo, CA

A magnitude 2.4 earthquake struck 18km N of Ocotillo, CA on Wed, Oct 21, 1981, 9:04 PM PDT (04:04 UTC), 12 km (7 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M2.9 16km NNE of Borrego Springs, 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
2.4 (mc), micro
Local time
UTC
1981-10-22 04:04:16 UTC
Depth
11.6 km (7.2 mi), shallow
Epicenter
32.897° N, 115.958° 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 0.6 km horizontally, 1.0 km in depth
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
67°
Stations used
40

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 98 in the 60 days after this one and 84 in the 30 days before it.

After

The first 60 of 98.

Before

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event ci525935. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 11:32 AM UTC.