California earthquakes

M2.5 earthquake 12km SSW of Olancha, CA

A magnitude 2.5 earthquake struck 12km SSW of Olancha, CA on Mon, Oct 19, 1981, 5:12 PM PDT (00:12 UTC), 5 km (3 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M2.8 30km ESE of Lake Isabella, 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
2.5 (ml), micro
Local time
UTC
1981-10-20 00:12:16 UTC
Depth
4.6 km (2.9 mi), shallow
Epicenter
36.175° N, 118.042° 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 1.5 km horizontally, 31.6 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.12
Depth from
Operator assigned
Station coverage gap
129°
Stations used
12

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 122 in the 60 days after this one and 16 in the 30 days before it.

After

The first 60 of 122.

Before

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event ci525819. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 9:41 AM UTC.