California earthquakes

M1.8 earthquake 3 km SE of Pacifica, California

A magnitude 1.8 earthquake struck 3 km SE of Pacifica, California on Tue, Nov 17, 1981, 2:57 AM PST (10:57 UTC), 9 km (5 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M2.1 4 km NW of Mountain House, 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
1.8 (md), micro
Local time
UTC
1981-11-17 10:57:07 UTC
Depth
8.7 km (5.4 mi), shallow
Epicenter
37.594° N, 122.462° 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 0.2 km horizontally, 0.6 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.12
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
131°
Stations used
33

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 78 in the 60 days after this one and 29 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 2.14 km NW of Mountain House, California · 16380 days ago · 13 km deep · 80 km away
  2. 2.07 km N of Pittsburg, California · 16380 days ago · 18 km deep · 76 km away
  3. 1.63 km SW of Loyola, California · 16378 days ago · 6 km deep · 42 km away
  4. 1.95 km WSW of Kenwood, California · 16378 days ago · 9 km deep · 89 km away
  5. 1.9Northern California · 16377 days ago · 16 km deep · 67 km away
  6. 1.511 km SW of Brentwood, California · 16376 days ago · 13 km deep · 67 km away
  7. 1.85 km N of San Leandro, California · 16376 days ago · 11 km deep · 33 km away
  8. 1.67 km NE of East Foothills, California · 16374 days ago · 10 km deep · 64 km away
  9. 1.77 km E of East Foothills, California · 16370 days ago · 9 km deep · 68 km away
  10. 2.39 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16369 days ago · 7 km deep · 71 km away
  11. 1.89 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16369 days ago · 7 km deep · 71 km away
  12. 1.69 km NE of San Martin, California · 16368 days ago · 8 km deep · 95 km away
  13. 1.65 km NW of Moskowite Corner, California · 16368 days ago · 11 km deep · 100 km away
  14. 1.59 km NE of Morgan Hill, California · 16367 days ago · 5 km deep · 89 km away
  15. 1.93 km WNW of American Canyon, California · 16366 days ago · 6 km deep · 68 km away
  16. 2.38 km NE of San Martin, California · 16361 days ago · 8 km deep · 97 km away
  17. 1.716 km E of East Foothills, California · 16360 days ago · 6 km deep · 77 km away
  18. 1.88 km ESE of Tracy, California · 16360 days ago · 78 km deep · 100 km away
  19. 1.71 km SSE of North Gate, California · 16359 days ago · 10 km deep · 53 km away
  20. 2.3Northern California · 16358 days ago · 15 km deep · 72 km away
  21. 2.3Northern California · 16358 days ago · 16 km deep · 71 km away
  22. 1.7Northern California · 16358 days ago · 10 km deep · 52 km away
  23. 1.79 km NE of San Martin, California · 16357 days ago · 5 km deep · 94 km away
  24. 3.72 km WNW of Portola Valley, California · 16356 days ago · 8 km deep · 29 km away
  25. 2.82 km WNW of Portola Valley, California · 16356 days ago · 7 km deep · 29 km away
  26. 2.02 km WNW of Portola Valley, California · 16355 days ago · 7 km deep · 28 km away
  27. 2.45 km E of Penngrove, California · 16355 days ago · 8 km deep · 80 km away
  28. 2.22 km ENE of Knightsen, California · 16353 days ago · 14 km deep · 84 km away
  29. 2.08 km ENE of San Martin, California · 16352 days ago · 7 km deep · 99 km away
  30. 1.68 km ENE of San Martin, California · 16352 days ago · 7 km deep · 98 km away
  31. 1.88 km ENE of Morgan Hill, California · 16352 days ago · 4 km deep · 92 km away
  32. 2.516 km E of East Foothills, California · 16351 days ago · 6 km deep · 77 km away
  33. 3.14 km E of Penngrove, California · 16350 days ago · 8 km deep · 80 km away
  34. 2.15 km E of Penngrove, California · 16350 days ago · 6 km deep · 79 km away
  35. 1.55 km ESE of Roseland, California · 16349 days ago · 10 km deep · 92 km away
  36. 1.72 km WNW of Portola Valley, California · 16348 days ago · 7 km deep · 28 km away
  37. 2.64 km E of Penngrove, California · 16348 days ago · 4 km deep · 80 km away
  38. 3.04 km E of Penngrove, California · 16348 days ago · 9 km deep · 80 km away
  39. 2.44 km E of Penngrove, California · 16348 days ago · 5 km deep · 80 km away
  40. 3.14 km E of Penngrove, California · 16348 days ago · 8 km deep · 80 km away
  41. 3.25 km E of Penngrove, California · 16348 days ago · 7 km deep · 80 km away
  42. 1.65 km E of Penngrove, California · 16348 days ago · 2 km deep · 79 km away
  43. 2.54 km ESE of Penngrove, California · 16347 days ago · 0 km deep · 79 km away
  44. 1.94 km E of Penngrove, California · 16347 days ago · 0 km deep · 79 km away
  45. 1.94 km E of Penngrove, California · 16347 days ago · 0 km deep · 79 km away
  46. 1.85 km E of Penngrove, California · 16347 days ago · 1 km deep · 80 km away
  47. 1.68 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16347 days ago · 6 km deep · 70 km away
  48. 1.8Central California · 16346 days ago · 3 km deep · 100 km away
  49. 2.09 km NNE of Interlaken, California · 16344 days ago · 7 km deep · 93 km away
  50. 1.64 km E of Penngrove, California · 16344 days ago · 0 km deep · 80 km away
  51. 1.65 km E of Penngrove, California · 16344 days ago · 2 km deep · 80 km away
  52. 2.82 km ENE of Pacifica, California · 16343 days ago · 12 km deep · 4 km away
  53. 1.68 km NNE of Interlaken, California · 16341 days ago · 10 km deep · 94 km away
  54. 1.74 km E of Penngrove, California · 16340 days ago · 2 km deep · 79 km away
  55. 1.64 km E of Penngrove, California · 16340 days ago · 0 km deep · 79 km away
  56. 1.83 km WSW of Moskowite Corner, California · 16340 days ago · 12 km deep · 96 km away
  57. 2.17 km NNW of Pittsburg, California · 16336 days ago · 19 km deep · 74 km away
  58. 2.012 km SW of Byron, California · 16334 days ago · 15 km deep · 66 km away
  59. 1.64 km ENE of Lompico, California · 16333 days ago · 7 km deep · 66 km away
  60. 2.04 km E of Penngrove, California · 16331 days ago · 5 km deep · 80 km away

The first 60 of 78.

Before

  1. 1.99 km ESE of Lexington Hills, California · 16382 days ago · 11 km deep · 73 km away
  2. 2.312 km SSW of Davenport, California · 16384 days ago · 11 km deep · 79 km away
  3. 1.516 km SE of Livermore, California · 16385 days ago · 9 km deep · 71 km away
  4. 1.93 km SW of Antioch, California · 16387 days ago · 19 km deep · 70 km away
  5. 2.33 km SW of Antioch, California · 16387 days ago · 18 km deep · 70 km away
  6. 2.09 km NE of San Martin, California · 16388 days ago · 8 km deep · 97 km away
  7. 1.815 km S of Pescadero, California · 16391 days ago · 5 km deep · 54 km away
  8. 2.27 km E of East Foothills, California · 16392 days ago · 7 km deep · 68 km away
  9. 2.28 km ENE of Milpitas, California · 16394 days ago · 7 km deep · 59 km away
  10. 1.73 km S of Green Valley, California · 16395 days ago · 9 km deep · 75 km away
  11. 2.33 km S of Fairview, California · 16396 days ago · 4 km deep · 37 km away
  12. 3.11 km ENE of Pittsburg, California · 16396 days ago · 15 km deep · 71 km away
  13. 1.93 km S of Fairview, California · 16397 days ago · 4 km deep · 37 km away
  14. 2.020 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16398 days ago · 6 km deep · 81 km away
  15. 1.62 km SE of Ladera, California · 16400 days ago · 2 km deep · 34 km away
  16. 2.02 km E of Ladera, California · 16400 days ago · 4 km deep · 34 km away
  17. 1.85 km WNW of Broadmoor, California · 16401 days ago · 7 km deep · 14 km away
  18. 2.38 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16402 days ago · 8 km deep · 70 km away
  19. 2.211 km ENE of Blackhawk, California · 16402 days ago · 16 km deep · 66 km away
  20. 2.87 km S of Sunol, California · 16403 days ago · 9 km deep · 51 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1069513. Read Wed, Sep 23, 2026, 7:07 AM UTC.