California earthquakes

M2.8 earthquake 16 km NW of Parkfield, California

A magnitude 2.8 earthquake struck 16 km NW of Parkfield, California on Wed, Oct 28, 1981, 2:16 PM PST (22:16 UTC), 5 km (3 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M2.8 17 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California. This one was a foreshock.

Coalinga forecastMore in California

Map

Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

Open the live map with earthquakes

The earthquake

Magnitude
2.8 (md), micro
Local time
UTC
1981-10-28 22:16:11 UTC
Depth
5.1 km (3.2 mi), shallow
Epicenter
36.009° N, 120.564° 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, 0.4 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.10
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
62°
Stations used
36

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 91 in the 60 days after this one and 38 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 1.531 km WNW of Coalinga, California · 16400 days ago · 10 km deep · 28 km away
  2. 1.62 km S of Parkfield, California · 16399 days ago · 10 km deep · 19 km away
  3. 1.824 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16398 days ago · 5 km deep · 65 km away
  4. 2.424 km NE of King City, California · 16396 days ago · 9 km deep · 53 km away
  5. 2.024 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16394 days ago · 6 km deep · 62 km away
  6. 2.411 km WSW of Huron, California · 16394 days ago · 8 km deep · 35 km away
  7. 1.87 km SW of Templeton, California · 16394 days ago · 5 km deep · 59 km away
  8. 1.62 km ESE of San Ardo, California · 16394 days ago · 10 km deep · 28 km away
  9. 1.524 km ENE of San Lucas, California · 16392 days ago · 5 km deep · 31 km away
  10. 2.022 km NE of San Lucas, California · 16390 days ago · 7 km deep · 38 km away
  11. 1.726 km NE of San Ardo, California · 16389 days ago · 5 km deep · 24 km away
  12. 1.623 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16388 days ago · 6 km deep · 71 km away
  13. 1.520 km SW of Three Rocks, California · 16388 days ago · 17 km deep · 41 km away
  14. 1.822 km NNE of San Lucas, California · 16387 days ago · 4 km deep · 44 km away
  15. 2.528 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16385 days ago · 8 km deep · 74 km away
  16. 1.730 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16385 days ago · 7 km deep · 75 km away
  17. 2.527 km SW of South Dos Palos, California · 16383 days ago · -1 km deep · 90 km away
  18. 2.117 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16383 days ago · 5 km deep · 94 km away
  19. 2.817 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16383 days ago · 5 km deep · 94 km away
  20. 1.917 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16383 days ago · 5 km deep · 94 km away
  21. 3.224 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16382 days ago · 8 km deep · 63 km away
  22. 1.523 km NE of Soledad, California · 16382 days ago · 5 km deep · 79 km away
  23. 1.824 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16380 days ago · 5 km deep · 62 km away
  24. 1.625 km NE of San Lucas, California · 16378 days ago · 7 km deep · 38 km away
  25. 1.921 km NW of San Simeon, California · 16377 days ago · 1 km deep · 79 km away
  26. 1.822 km SW of Three Rocks, California · 16376 days ago · 16 km deep · 41 km away
  27. 1.624 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16373 days ago · 5 km deep · 62 km away
  28. 2.116 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16372 days ago · 5 km deep · 1 km away
  29. 2.423 km ENE of San Lucas, California · 16372 days ago · 5 km deep · 30 km away
  30. 1.816 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16372 days ago · 5 km deep · 94 km away
  31. 2.023 km NE of King City, California · 16371 days ago · 4 km deep · 51 km away
  32. 1.76 km WNW of San Ardo, California · 16371 days ago · 6 km deep · 36 km away
  33. 1.86 km WNW of San Ardo, California · 16370 days ago · 6 km deep · 36 km away
  34. 1.721 km NE of Soledad, California · 16370 days ago · 7 km deep · 81 km away
  35. 2.120 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16369 days ago · 4 km deep · 90 km away
  36. 1.530 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16369 days ago · 6 km deep · 75 km away
  37. 1.624 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16368 days ago · 5 km deep · 69 km away
  38. 1.68 km SW of Templeton, California · 16368 days ago · 4 km deep · 60 km away
  39. 1.814 km SSE of Avenal, California · 16367 days ago · 22 km deep · 47 km away
  40. 1.625 km SSW of Los Banos, California · 16367 days ago · 2 km deep · 98 km away
  41. 1.721 km WSW of Greenfield, California · 16366 days ago · 12 km deep · 83 km away
  42. 1.730 km SW of South Dos Palos, California · 16366 days ago · 1 km deep · 88 km away
  43. 1.830 km SW of South Dos Palos, California · 16366 days ago · 4 km deep · 88 km away
  44. 3.122 km NE of San Ardo, California · 16364 days ago · 8 km deep · 24 km away
  45. 1.921 km NE of Soledad, California · 16362 days ago · 6 km deep · 79 km away
  46. 1.6Near the coast of Central California · 16362 days ago · 8 km deep · 77 km away
  47. 1.97 km NE of Cambria, California · 16358 days ago · 2 km deep · 61 km away
  48. 1.730 km SE of Big Sur, California · 16358 days ago · 11 km deep · 92 km away
  49. 3.225 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16357 days ago · 7 km deep · 59 km away
  50. 1.638 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16356 days ago · 7 km deep · 62 km away
  51. 2.623 km NE of San Ardo, California · 16355 days ago · 8 km deep · 24 km away
  52. 1.521 km NE of Soledad, California · 16355 days ago · 2 km deep · 82 km away
  53. 2.425 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16355 days ago · 7 km deep · 59 km away
  54. 1.8Central California · 16355 days ago · 6 km deep · 59 km away
  55. 2.521 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16354 days ago · 4 km deep · 4 km away
  56. 1.722 km NE of Soledad, California · 16352 days ago · 2 km deep · 77 km away
  57. 2.038 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16352 days ago · 7 km deep · 64 km away
  58. 1.638 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16352 days ago · 6 km deep · 64 km away
  59. 3.038 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16352 days ago · 7 km deep · 64 km away
  60. 1.632 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16352 days ago · 28 km deep · 60 km away

The first 60 of 91.

Before

  1. 1.823 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16402 days ago · 6 km deep · 66 km away
  2. 1.86 km NE of Cambria, California · 16402 days ago · 3 km deep · 61 km away
  3. 2.213 km SE of Parkfield, California · 16402 days ago · 10 km deep · 31 km away
  4. 1.519 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16402 days ago · 4 km deep · 2 km away
  5. 1.928 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16403 days ago · 7 km deep · 74 km away
  6. 1.628 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16403 days ago · 7 km deep · 74 km away
  7. 1.922 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16404 days ago · 4 km deep · 6 km away
  8. 1.522 km NNE of Soledad, California · 16405 days ago · 2 km deep · 87 km away
  9. 2.624 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16406 days ago · 6 km deep · 66 km away
  10. 1.923 km SSW of South Dos Palos, California · 16407 days ago · 4 km deep · 88 km away
  11. 1.530 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16410 days ago · 8 km deep · 76 km away
  12. 2.130 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16410 days ago · 7 km deep · 76 km away
  13. 1.621 km NE of Soledad, California · 16410 days ago · 3 km deep · 84 km away
  14. 1.630 km SW of South Dos Palos, California · 16411 days ago · 1 km deep · 88 km away
  15. 1.528 km NE of San Lucas, California · 16413 days ago · 9 km deep · 38 km away
  16. 2.021 km NE of Soledad, California · 16414 days ago · 6 km deep · 83 km away
  17. 1.822 km ENE of San Ardo, California · 16416 days ago · 2 km deep · 15 km away
  18. 1.68 km W of Oak Shores, California · 16417 days ago · 7 km deep · 53 km away
  19. 1.98 km WSW of Atascadero, California · 16418 days ago · 6 km deep · 63 km away
  20. 2.1Central California · 16418 days ago · 11 km deep · 2 km away

Earthquakes todayCalifornia earthquakesLive radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1069009. Read Wed, Sep 23, 2026, 4:39 PM UTC.