California earthquakes

M1.7 earthquake 5 km NNE of Pittsburg, California

A magnitude 1.7 earthquake struck 5 km NNE of Pittsburg, California on Sun, Jan 18, 1981, 12:44 AM PST (08:44 UTC), 12 km (7 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M1.9 12 km WNW of Calistoga, 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
1.7 (md), micro
Local time
UTC
1981-01-18 08:44:09 UTC
Depth
12.0 km (7.4 mi), shallow
Epicenter
38.075° N, 121.856° 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 0.9 km horizontally, 2.0 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.31
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
166°
Stations used
9

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 101 in the 60 days after this one and 54 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 1.912 km WNW of Calistoga, California · 16683 days ago · 13 km deep · 97 km away
  2. 2.53 km ESE of Berkeley, California · 16682 days ago · 12 km deep · 41 km away
  3. 2.610 km SW of Brentwood, California · 16682 days ago · 16 km deep · 26 km away
  4. 1.810 km ENE of Milpitas, California · 16682 days ago · 6 km deep · 67 km away
  5. 2.021 km SW of Diablo Grande, California · 16681 days ago · 34 km deep · 99 km away
  6. 1.96 km SW of Kenwood, California · 16679 days ago · 0 km deep · 74 km away
  7. 1.71 km S of Discovery Bay, California · 16679 days ago · 11 km deep · 30 km away
  8. 2.47 km SW of Brentwood, California · 16679 days ago · 16 km deep · 23 km away
  9. 2.010 km NNE of Livermore, California · 16679 days ago · 12 km deep · 36 km away
  10. 1.812 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16678 days ago · 4 km deep · 85 km away
  11. 1.92 km N of Monte Sereno, California · 16677 days ago · 4 km deep · 92 km away
  12. 1.810 km SW of Brentwood, California · 16677 days ago · 14 km deep · 26 km away
  13. 2.014 km SSE of Livermore, California · 16677 days ago · 2 km deep · 59 km away
  14. 1.83 km SW of Muir Beach, California · 16676 days ago · 2 km deep · 71 km away
  15. 2.61 km N of Pleasant Hill, California · 16676 days ago · 9 km deep · 22 km away
  16. 1.610 km ENE of Seven Trees, California · 16675 days ago · 3 km deep · 86 km away
  17. 1.72 km N of Ashland, California · 16675 days ago · 6 km deep · 46 km away
  18. 2.116 km E of East Foothills, California · 16674 days ago · 7 km deep · 78 km away
  19. 1.69 km NNE of Morgan Hill, California · 16674 days ago · 4 km deep · 100 km away
  20. 1.93 km NNE of Larkfield-Wikiup, California · 16673 days ago · 3 km deep · 93 km away
  21. 1.79 km SW of Ripon, California · 16670 days ago · 5 km deep · 72 km away
  22. 2.010 km SW of Brentwood, California · 16670 days ago · 14 km deep · 26 km away
  23. 1.915 km SSE of Livermore, California · 16669 days ago · 3 km deep · 59 km away
  24. 1.66 km NNE of Larkfield-Wikiup, California · 16669 days ago · 3 km deep · 94 km away
  25. 1.511 km E of Blackhawk, California · 16668 days ago · 5 km deep · 27 km away
  26. 1.57 km E of East Foothills, California · 16666 days ago · 9 km deep · 77 km away
  27. 1.67 km E of East Foothills, California · 16666 days ago · 9 km deep · 77 km away
  28. 1.67 km E of East Foothills, California · 16666 days ago · 9 km deep · 77 km away
  29. 1.69 km NNE of Livermore, California · 16665 days ago · 12 km deep · 37 km away
  30. 1.83 km S of Communications Hill, California · 16664 days ago · 5 km deep · 90 km away
  31. 2.5Northern California · 16664 days ago · 10 km deep · 99 km away
  32. 1.96 km SW of Monte Sereno, California · 16664 days ago · 10 km deep · 99 km away
  33. 1.59 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16663 days ago · 8 km deep · 81 km away
  34. 1.811 km SW of Brentwood, California · 16663 days ago · 14 km deep · 26 km away
  35. 2.07 km NNE of Pittsburg, California · 16662 days ago · 17 km deep · 1 km away
  36. 2.11 km NE of San Leandro, California · 16662 days ago · 6 km deep · 45 km away
  37. 1.75 km SSE of Herald, California · 16661 days ago · 0 km deep · 58 km away
  38. 2.60 km SSE of North Gate, California · 16660 days ago · 11 km deep · 23 km away
  39. 3.09 km SW of Brentwood, California · 16660 days ago · 17 km deep · 25 km away
  40. 2.315 km SSE of Livermore, California · 16660 days ago · 1 km deep · 59 km away
  41. 2.16 km WNW of Broadmoor, California · 16657 days ago · 4 km deep · 72 km away
  42. 1.52 km WSW of Cupertino, California · 16656 days ago · 4 km deep · 86 km away
  43. 1.73 km SW of San Bruno, California · 16655 days ago · 8 km deep · 73 km away
  44. 2.19 km SSE of Sunol, California · 16655 days ago · 9 km deep · 63 km away
  45. 1.712 km ESE of Livermore, California · 16654 days ago · 8 km deep · 52 km away
  46. 2.3Northern California · 16653 days ago · 8 km deep · 72 km away
  47. 1.911 km E of Blackhawk, California · 16653 days ago · 10 km deep · 28 km away
  48. 1.69 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16651 days ago · 9 km deep · 81 km away
  49. 2.014 km ESE of Hidden Valley Lake, California · 16651 days ago · 6 km deep · 88 km away
  50. 2.75 km ENE of East Foothills, California · 16650 days ago · 5 km deep · 75 km away
  51. 2.54 km SE of Larkfield-Wikiup, California · 16650 days ago · 6 km deep · 88 km away
  52. 1.50 km N of Pleasant Hill, California · 16649 days ago · 7 km deep · 22 km away
  53. 2.011 km E of Blackhawk, California · 16645 days ago · 11 km deep · 28 km away
  54. 1.913 km NNE of Angwin, California · 16643 days ago · 10 km deep · 83 km away
  55. 1.61 km NNW of Pleasant Hill, California · 16643 days ago · 8 km deep · 22 km away
  56. 1.615 km SSE of Livermore, California · 16642 days ago · 2 km deep · 59 km away
  57. 1.615 km SSE of Livermore, California · 16642 days ago · 2 km deep · 59 km away
  58. 1.715 km SSE of Livermore, California · 16642 days ago · 3 km deep · 59 km away
  59. 1.79 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16642 days ago · 9 km deep · 81 km away
  60. 2.614 km SSE of Livermore, California · 16642 days ago · 2 km deep · 59 km away

The first 60 of 101.

Before

  1. 1.61 km SW of Alamo, California · 16684 days ago · 9 km deep · 31 km away
  2. 1.612 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16684 days ago · 7 km deep · 84 km away
  3. 1.610 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16686 days ago · 7 km deep · 82 km away
  4. 1.710 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16686 days ago · 7 km deep · 82 km away
  5. 1.511 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16686 days ago · 7 km deep · 84 km away
  6. 1.59 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16686 days ago · 8 km deep · 81 km away
  7. 2.211 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16686 days ago · 7 km deep · 83 km away
  8. 2.411 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16686 days ago · 7 km deep · 84 km away
  9. 1.610 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16686 days ago · 7 km deep · 82 km away
  10. 2.17 km E of East Foothills, California · 16686 days ago · 8 km deep · 78 km away
  11. 1.710 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16686 days ago · 7 km deep · 83 km away
  12. 1.910 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16686 days ago · 7 km deep · 82 km away
  13. 3.06 km E of East Foothills, California · 16686 days ago · 7 km deep · 78 km away
  14. 4.87 km E of East Foothills, California · 16686 days ago · 9 km deep · 79 km away
  15. 1.81 km ESE of Pittsburg, California · 16687 days ago · 17 km deep · 6 km away
  16. 2.28 km ESE of Hidden Valley Lake, California · 16689 days ago · 8 km deep · 95 km away
  17. 1.62 km SSW of Moskowite Corner, California · 16689 days ago · 11 km deep · 50 km away
  18. 1.916 km SE of Livermore, California · 16689 days ago · 6 km deep · 59 km away
  19. 2.54 km ENE of Penngrove, California · 16690 days ago · 0 km deep · 71 km away
  20. 2.419 km E of East Foothills, California · 16691 days ago · 6 km deep · 81 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1059383. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 10:35 PM UTC.