California earthquakes

M3.1 earthquake 8 km NW of Parkfield, California

A magnitude 3.1 earthquake struck 8 km NW of Parkfield, California on Sat, Jan 10, 1981, 8:44 PM PST (04:44 UTC), 9 km (6 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M3.4 8 km NE of Cayucos, 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: 3.1 (ml), minor
Local time: Sat, Jan 10, 1981, 8:44 PM PST
UTC: 1981-01-11 04:44:32 UTC
Depth: 9.5 km (5.9 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 35.956° N, 120.503° W
Region: California
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, 0.4 km in depth
Depth from: From location
Station coverage gap: 77°
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: 122 in the 60 days after this one and 55 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 nc1059147 (also filed as ci3301835, usp0001bp6). Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 11:02 AM UTC.