California earthquakes

M1.6 earthquake 20 km NW of Parkfield, California

A magnitude 1.6 earthquake struck 20 km NW of Parkfield, California on Mon, Feb 16, 1981, 1:24 PM PST (21:24 UTC), 4 km (3 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M2.0 21 km S of Avenal, 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
1.6 (md), micro
Local time
UTC
1981-02-16 21:24:06 UTC
Depth
4.4 km (2.7 mi), shallow
Epicenter
36.036° N, 120.591° 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, 0.5 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.20
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
70°
Stations used
23

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 106 in the 60 days after this one and 76 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 2.021 km S of Avenal, California · 16654 days ago · 10 km deep · 48 km away
  2. 2.120km SSE of Kettleman City, CA · 16654 days ago · 5 km deep · 66 km away
  3. 1.623 km ENE of San Lucas, California · 16654 days ago · 6 km deep · 30 km away
  4. 1.824 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16653 days ago · 7 km deep · 58 km away
  5. 2.323km SSE of Kettleman City, CA · 16653 days ago · 5 km deep · 67 km away
  6. 2.322km SSE of Kettleman City, CA · 16653 days ago · 5 km deep · 67 km away
  7. 2.421 km S of Avenal, California · 16653 days ago · 9 km deep · 46 km away
  8. 1.76 km WSW of Avenal, California · 16653 days ago · 13 km deep · 36 km away
  9. 1.88 km WSW of Avenal, California · 16653 days ago · 13 km deep · 35 km away
  10. 2.121 km S of Avenal, California · 16652 days ago · 8 km deep · 45 km away
  11. 2.110 km WSW of Avenal, California · 16652 days ago · 15 km deep · 34 km away
  12. 1.825 km NE of King City, California · 16652 days ago · 8 km deep · 52 km away
  13. 2.822km SSE of Kettleman City, CA · 16651 days ago · 5 km deep · 68 km away
  14. 1.621 km NE of Soledad, California · 16651 days ago · 7 km deep · 77 km away
  15. 1.919 km S of Avenal, California · 16651 days ago · 10 km deep · 48 km away
  16. 1.820 km S of Avenal, California · 16651 days ago · 11 km deep · 50 km away
  17. 1.726 km NE of Soledad, California · 16649 days ago · 8 km deep · 74 km away
  18. 1.83 km N of Avenal, California · 16649 days ago · 14 km deep · 42 km away
  19. 1.711 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16649 days ago · 18 km deep · 95 km away
  20. 1.66 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16648 days ago · 10 km deep · 14 km away
  21. 3.22 km SSW of Edna, California · 16648 days ago · 0 km deep · 95 km away
  22. 3.04 km WSW of Coalinga, California · 16647 days ago · 8 km deep · 19 km away
  23. 1.810 km NE of Coalinga, California · 16646 days ago · 11 km deep · 33 km away
  24. 1.621 km NE of Soledad, California · 16646 days ago · 3 km deep · 77 km away
  25. 3.617 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16646 days ago · 5 km deep · 3 km away
  26. 2.621 km SSE of Avenal, California · 16645 days ago · 12 km deep · 55 km away
  27. 2.032km E of Cholame, CA · 16645 days ago · 5 km deep · 70 km away
  28. 1.524 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16645 days ago · 6 km deep · 61 km away
  29. 2.029km S of Kettleman City, CA · 16644 days ago · 5 km deep · 64 km away
  30. 1.820 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16644 days ago · 4 km deep · 86 km away
  31. 2.420 km SSE of Avenal, California · 16644 days ago · 12 km deep · 52 km away
  32. 1.54 km W of Gonzales, California · 16643 days ago · 7 km deep · 96 km away
  33. 1.623 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16642 days ago · 4 km deep · 67 km away
  34. 2.723 km NE of San Ardo, California · 16641 days ago · 8 km deep · 20 km away
  35. 2.79 km W of Huron, California · 16641 days ago · 5 km deep · 38 km away
  36. 2.127 km NE of Soledad, California · 16641 days ago · 6 km deep · 74 km away
  37. 1.620 km SSE of Avenal, California · 16641 days ago · 12 km deep · 51 km away
  38. 2.021 km S of Avenal, California · 16641 days ago · 11 km deep · 49 km away
  39. 2.120 km SSE of Avenal, California · 16641 days ago · 13 km deep · 52 km away
  40. 2.321 km WSW of Los Osos, California · 16640 days ago · 6 km deep · 97 km away
  41. 1.824 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16638 days ago · 1 km deep · 62 km away
  42. 1.523 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16637 days ago · 4 km deep · 68 km away
  43. 1.915 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16636 days ago · 3 km deep · 92 km away
  44. 2.522 km NE of Soledad, California · 16635 days ago · 4 km deep · 81 km away
  45. 1.824 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16635 days ago · 7 km deep · 65 km away
  46. 2.112 km SSW of San Simeon, California · 16634 days ago · 3 km deep · 80 km away
  47. 1.719 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16633 days ago · 7 km deep · 88 km away
  48. 2.122 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16633 days ago · 6 km deep · 2 km away
  49. 1.630 km WNW of San Simeon, California · 16629 days ago · 6 km deep · 89 km away
  50. 1.824 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16628 days ago · 4 km deep · 60 km away
  51. 1.723 km NNE of San Lucas, California · 16627 days ago · 8 km deep · 40 km away
  52. 2.31km ENE of Avila Beach, CA · 16626 days ago · 5 km deep · 96 km away
  53. 2.66km WSW of Avila Beach, CA · 16626 days ago · -1 km deep · 99 km away
  54. 1.624 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16625 days ago · 4 km deep · 59 km away
  55. 1.722 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16624 days ago · 4 km deep · 69 km away
  56. 2.123 km NE of San Ardo, California · 16623 days ago · 7 km deep · 23 km away
  57. 1.714 km SE of Tres Pinos, California · 16622 days ago · 4 km deep · 92 km away
  58. 1.627 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16621 days ago · 8 km deep · 71 km away
  59. 1.817 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16621 days ago · 6 km deep · 89 km away
  60. 1.521 km NE of Soledad, California · 16619 days ago · 6 km deep · 81 km away

The first 60 of 106.

Before

  1. 2.331km E of Cholame, CA · 16654 days ago · 5 km deep · 69 km away
  2. 2.022 km NNE of Soledad, California · 16654 days ago · 2 km deep · 83 km away
  3. 1.523 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16654 days ago · 6 km deep · 66 km away
  4. 1.722 km NE of San Ardo, California · 16655 days ago · 9 km deep · 20 km away
  5. 1.816 km N of San Simeon, California · 16656 days ago · 6 km deep · 63 km away
  6. 1.633 km NW of San Simeon, California · 16657 days ago · 8 km deep · 84 km away
  7. 1.825 km NE of King City, California · 16657 days ago · 0 km deep · 53 km away
  8. 2.013 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 16657 days ago · 4 km deep · 95 km away
  9. 1.613 km SE of Tres Pinos, California · 16657 days ago · 3 km deep · 93 km away
  10. 1.622 km NNE of Soledad, California · 16657 days ago · 4 km deep · 84 km away
  11. 1.622 km NE of Soledad, California · 16658 days ago · 6 km deep · 81 km away
  12. 1.512 km NE of San Miguel, California · 16658 days ago · 8 km deep · 24 km away
  13. 2.224 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16658 days ago · 8 km deep · 63 km away
  14. 2.121 km NE of Soledad, California · 16658 days ago · 3 km deep · 79 km away
  15. 3.316 km NNW of San Simeon, California · 16659 days ago · 3 km deep · 68 km away
  16. 2.521 km NE of Soledad, California · 16659 days ago · 3 km deep · 79 km away
  17. 3.513 km W of Avenal, California · 16660 days ago · 9 km deep · 28 km away
  18. 3.411km ENE of Coalinga, CA · 16660 days ago · 5 km deep · 35 km away
  19. 1.67 km NNE of Coalinga, California · 16660 days ago · 7 km deep · 29 km away
  20. 2.29 km NE of Coalinga, California · 16660 days ago · 10 km deep · 33 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1060447. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 8:50 PM UTC.