California earthquakes

M1.6 earthquake 21 km NW of Parkfield, California

A magnitude 1.6 earthquake struck 21 km NW of Parkfield, California on Fri, Oct 2, 1981, 9:21 AM PDT (16:21 UTC), 2 km (1 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M1.9 21 km NE of Soledad, 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
1981-10-02 16:21:26 UTC
Depth
2.2 km (1.4 mi), shallow
Epicenter
36.036° N, 120.600° 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, 0.8 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.13
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
61°
Stations used
22

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 72 in the 60 days after this one and 66 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 1.921 km NE of Soledad, California · 16424 days ago · 6 km deep · 81 km away
  2. 2.015km S of Kettleman City, CA · 16423 days ago · 5 km deep · 63 km away
  3. 2.08 km W of Huron, California · 16423 days ago · 9 km deep · 40 km away
  4. 1.56 km WSW of Paso Robles, California · 16422 days ago · 5 km deep · 50 km away
  5. 2.123 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16422 days ago · 5 km deep · 68 km away
  6. 2.227 km E of Tres Pinos, California · 16422 days ago · 3 km deep · 87 km away
  7. 1.621 km NE of Soledad, California · 16421 days ago · 3 km deep · 77 km away
  8. 1.625 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16420 days ago · 1 km deep · 59 km away
  9. 2.013 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 16420 days ago · 2 km deep · 94 km away
  10. 1.923 km NE of King City, California · 16419 days ago · 4 km deep · 47 km away
  11. 1.732 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16418 days ago · 12 km deep · 58 km away
  12. 2.1Central California · 16418 days ago · 11 km deep · 6 km away
  13. 1.98 km WSW of Atascadero, California · 16417 days ago · 6 km deep · 65 km away
  14. 1.68 km W of Oak Shores, California · 16416 days ago · 7 km deep · 52 km away
  15. 1.822 km ENE of San Ardo, California · 16415 days ago · 2 km deep · 11 km away
  16. 2.021 km NE of Soledad, California · 16413 days ago · 6 km deep · 79 km away
  17. 1.528 km NE of San Lucas, California · 16413 days ago · 9 km deep · 34 km away
  18. 1.630 km SW of South Dos Palos, California · 16410 days ago · 1 km deep · 84 km away
  19. 1.621 km NE of Soledad, California · 16410 days ago · 3 km deep · 80 km away
  20. 2.130 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16409 days ago · 7 km deep · 72 km away
  21. 1.530 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16409 days ago · 8 km deep · 72 km away
  22. 1.923 km SSW of South Dos Palos, California · 16406 days ago · 4 km deep · 85 km away
  23. 2.624 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16406 days ago · 6 km deep · 62 km away
  24. 1.522 km NNE of Soledad, California · 16404 days ago · 2 km deep · 83 km away
  25. 1.922 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16403 days ago · 4 km deep · 1 km away
  26. 1.628 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16402 days ago · 7 km deep · 70 km away
  27. 1.928 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16402 days ago · 7 km deep · 70 km away
  28. 1.519 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16402 days ago · 4 km deep · 2 km away
  29. 2.213 km SE of Parkfield, California · 16401 days ago · 10 km deep · 35 km away
  30. 1.86 km NE of Cambria, California · 16401 days ago · 3 km deep · 61 km away
  31. 1.823 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16401 days ago · 6 km deep · 62 km away
  32. 2.816 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16400 days ago · 5 km deep · 4 km away
  33. 1.531 km WNW of Coalinga, California · 16399 days ago · 10 km deep · 24 km away
  34. 1.62 km S of Parkfield, California · 16398 days ago · 10 km deep · 24 km away
  35. 1.824 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16398 days ago · 5 km deep · 61 km away
  36. 2.424 km NE of King City, California · 16395 days ago · 9 km deep · 49 km away
  37. 2.5Central California · 16394 days ago · 2 km deep · 99 km away
  38. 2.024 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16393 days ago · 6 km deep · 58 km away
  39. 2.411 km WSW of Huron, California · 16393 days ago · 8 km deep · 37 km away
  40. 1.87 km SW of Templeton, California · 16393 days ago · 5 km deep · 61 km away
  41. 1.62 km ESE of San Ardo, California · 16393 days ago · 10 km deep · 25 km away
  42. 1.524 km ENE of San Lucas, California · 16391 days ago · 5 km deep · 27 km away
  43. 2.022 km NE of San Lucas, California · 16389 days ago · 7 km deep · 34 km away
  44. 1.726 km NE of San Ardo, California · 16388 days ago · 5 km deep · 20 km away
  45. 1.623 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16387 days ago · 6 km deep · 66 km away
  46. 1.520 km SW of Three Rocks, California · 16387 days ago · 17 km deep · 39 km away
  47. 1.822 km NNE of San Lucas, California · 16386 days ago · 4 km deep · 39 km away
  48. 2.528 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16384 days ago · 8 km deep · 69 km away
  49. 1.730 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16384 days ago · 7 km deep · 71 km away
  50. 2.527 km SW of South Dos Palos, California · 16382 days ago · -1 km deep · 87 km away
  51. 2.117 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16382 days ago · 5 km deep · 89 km away
  52. 2.817 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16382 days ago · 5 km deep · 90 km away
  53. 1.917 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16382 days ago · 5 km deep · 90 km away
  54. 3.224 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16382 days ago · 8 km deep · 58 km away
  55. 1.523 km NE of Soledad, California · 16381 days ago · 5 km deep · 74 km away
  56. 1.824 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16379 days ago · 5 km deep · 58 km away
  57. 1.625 km NE of San Lucas, California · 16378 days ago · 7 km deep · 33 km away
  58. 1.921 km NW of San Simeon, California · 16376 days ago · 1 km deep · 77 km away
  59. 1.822 km SW of Three Rocks, California · 16375 days ago · 16 km deep · 38 km away
  60. 1.624 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16373 days ago · 5 km deep · 58 km away

The first 60 of 72.

Before

  1. 1.813 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 16427 days ago · 3 km deep · 94 km away
  2. 1.921 km NE of Soledad, California · 16427 days ago · 6 km deep · 81 km away
  3. 3.222 km NE of Soledad, California · 16427 days ago · 7 km deep · 81 km away
  4. 2.514 km SSW of Lockwood, California · 16428 days ago · 6 km deep · 53 km away
  5. 1.623 km NE of San Lucas, California · 16428 days ago · 5 km deep · 37 km away
  6. 1.810 km NNE of Cayucos, California · 16430 days ago · 5 km deep · 61 km away
  7. 1.812 km ESE of Tres Pinos, California · 16430 days ago · 10 km deep · 94 km away
  8. 3.131 km NE of Soledad, California · 16431 days ago · 8 km deep · 75 km away
  9. 2.123 km NE of Soledad, California · 16431 days ago · 9 km deep · 76 km away
  10. 1.927 km ENE of King City, California · 16432 days ago · 9 km deep · 43 km away
  11. 2.118 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16432 days ago · 5 km deep · 89 km away
  12. 3.014 km SSE of Coalinga, California · 16432 days ago · 0 km deep · 28 km away
  13. 2.112 km SE of Coalinga, California · 16432 days ago · 9 km deep · 30 km away
  14. 2.2Central California · 16433 days ago · 6 km deep · 41 km away
  15. 2.123 km NE of San Lucas, California · 16433 days ago · 7 km deep · 31 km away
  16. 1.725 km WSW of Coalinga, California · 16433 days ago · 2 km deep · 4 km away
  17. 1.9Central California · 16434 days ago · 2 km deep · 7 km away
  18. 1.923 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16434 days ago · 3 km deep · 67 km away
  19. 1.59 km WSW of Atascadero, California · 16434 days ago · 5 km deep · 64 km away
  20. 2.217 km NNW of San Simeon, California · 16434 days ago · 4 km deep · 67 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1068203. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 8:58 PM UTC.