California earthquakes

M1.8 earthquake 8km NE of Ridgecrest, CA

A magnitude 1.8 earthquake struck 8km NE of Ridgecrest, CA on Thu, Dec 31, 1981, 4:25 AM PST (12:25 UTC), -1 km (0 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M4.0 13km NE of Inyokern, CA. This one was a foreshock.

Ridgecrest forecastMore in California

Map

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

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The earthquake

Magnitude
1.8 (mh), micro
Local time
UTC
1981-12-31 12:25:21 UTC
Depth
-0.8 km (-0.5 mi), shallow
Epicenter
35.681° N, 117.617° 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 0.6 km horizontally, 1.5 km in depth
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
113°
Stations used
8

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 128 in the 60 days after this one and 119 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 1.59km NE of Ridgecrest, CA · 16343 days ago · -1 km deep · 0 km away
  2. 1.520km NNE of Trona, CA · 16343 days ago · 5 km deep · 41 km away
  3. 2.516km NNE of Inyokern, CA · 16343 days ago · 2 km deep · 14 km away
  4. 2.624km ENE of Arvin, CA · 16340 days ago · 5 km deep · 97 km away
  5. 2.626km W of Johannesburg, CA · 16340 days ago · 5 km deep · 44 km away
  6. 2.214km ESE of Olancha, CA · 16337 days ago · 5 km deep · 64 km away
  7. 2.215km ENE of Coso Junction, CA · 16335 days ago · 3 km deep · 50 km away
  8. 2.424km ENE of Arvin, CA · 16333 days ago · 5 km deep · 97 km away
  9. 2.445km WSW of Shoshone, CA · 16333 days ago · 5 km deep · 81 km away
  10. 2.227km W of Inyokern, CA · 16333 days ago · 5 km deep · 44 km away
  11. 2.127km W of Inyokern, CA · 16333 days ago · 5 km deep · 45 km away
  12. 2.618km W of Johannesburg, CA · 16332 days ago · 4 km deep · 38 km away
  13. 2.414km ENE of Coso Junction, CA · 16332 days ago · 3 km deep · 48 km away
  14. 2.623km E of Little Lake, CA · 16327 days ago · 0 km deep · 26 km away
  15. 2.523km E of Little Lake, CA · 16327 days ago · 0 km deep · 25 km away
  16. 2.42km E of Bodfish, CA · 16327 days ago · 5 km deep · 77 km away
  17. 2.311km ENE of Ridgecrest, CA · 16326 days ago · 7 km deep · 4 km away
  18. 1.916km S of Bodfish, CA · 16324 days ago · 5 km deep · 85 km away
  19. 2.322km ENE of Arvin, CA · 16324 days ago · 5 km deep · 100 km away
  20. 2.59km NE of Ridgecrest, CA · 16324 days ago · 3 km deep · 2 km away
  21. 2.916km NE of Boron, CA · 16323 days ago · 5 km deep · 64 km away
  22. 2.726km NNW of Tehachapi, CA · 16322 days ago · 5 km deep · 92 km away
  23. 2.328km ESE of Kernville, CA · 16322 days ago · 10 km deep · 47 km away
  24. 2.029km W of Inyokern, CA · 16321 days ago · 9 km deep · 47 km away
  25. 2.138km NNW of Fort Irwin, CA · 16321 days ago · 5 km deep · 67 km away
  26. 2.116km SW of Fort Irwin, CA · 16320 days ago · 1 km deep · 95 km away
  27. 1.99km ESE of Lake Isabella, CA · 16319 days ago · 2 km deep · 71 km away
  28. 2.210km NE of Ridgecrest, CA · 16318 days ago · 5 km deep · 3 km away
  29. 2.019km ESE of Bodfish, CA · 16317 days ago · 5 km deep · 65 km away
  30. 2.29km NE of Olancha, CA · 16317 days ago · 0 km deep · 80 km away
  31. 2.226km S of Trona, CA · 16316 days ago · 5 km deep · 31 km away
  32. 2.110km NE of Coso Junction, CA · 16315 days ago · 2 km deep · 51 km away
  33. 2.514km ENE of Coso Junction, CA · 16313 days ago · 0 km deep · 49 km away
  34. 2.016km ENE of Coso Junction, CA · 16313 days ago · 2 km deep · 50 km away
  35. 1.816km ENE of Coso Junction, CA · 16312 days ago · 4 km deep · 48 km away
  36. 2.220km NNW of Tehachapi, CA · 16312 days ago · 2 km deep · 95 km away
  37. 2.612km ENE of Kernville, CA · 16311 days ago · 2 km deep · 64 km away
  38. 1.912km ENE of Kernville, CA · 16311 days ago · 5 km deep · 64 km away
  39. 1.914km NE of Coso Junction, CA · 16309 days ago · 5 km deep · 53 km away
  40. 1.718km NE of Coso Junction, CA · 16309 days ago · 5 km deep · 54 km away
  41. 1.914km NE of Coso Junction, CA · 16309 days ago · 5 km deep · 53 km away
  42. 2.513km NE of Coso Junction, CA · 16309 days ago · 3 km deep · 52 km away
  43. 2.125km WNW of Inyokern, CA · 16308 days ago · 6 km deep · 42 km away
  44. 2.118km SE of Bodfish, CA · 16307 days ago · 5 km deep · 72 km away
  45. 3.825km NNW of Tehachapi, CA · 16306 days ago · 5 km deep · 89 km away
  46. 2.825km NNW of Tehachapi, CA · 16306 days ago · 5 km deep · 90 km away
  47. 2.629km NE of Trona, CA · 16306 days ago · 5 km deep · 51 km away
  48. 2.426km NNW of Tehachapi, CA · 16305 days ago · 5 km deep · 90 km away
  49. 2.326km NNW of Tehachapi, CA · 16305 days ago · 5 km deep · 91 km away
  50. 2.725km NNW of Tehachapi, CA · 16304 days ago · 5 km deep · 89 km away
  51. 2.217km E of Little Lake, CA · 16303 days ago · 9 km deep · 29 km away
  52. 2.317km SE of Lone Pine, CA · 16303 days ago · 4 km deep · 94 km away
  53. 1.826km NNW of Tehachapi, CA · 16302 days ago · 5 km deep · 90 km away
  54. 2.511km N of Ridgecrest, CA · 16301 days ago · 2 km deep · 6 km away
  55. 3.810km NNE of Ridgecrest, CA · 16301 days ago · 11 km deep · 4 km away
  56. 2.013km W of Mojave, CA · 16300 days ago · 8 km deep · 93 km away
  57. 2.026km NNW of Tehachapi, CA · 16300 days ago · 5 km deep · 91 km away
  58. 2.323km WNW of Inyokern, CA · 16299 days ago · 6 km deep · 38 km away
  59. 2.622km E of Little Lake, CA · 16299 days ago · 0 km deep · 27 km away
  60. 2.418km NNE of Inyokern, CA · 16295 days ago · 9 km deep · 16 km away

The first 60 of 128.

Before

  1. 1.722km NNE of Trona, CA · 16344 days ago · 5 km deep · 42 km away
  2. 1.625km WNW of Inyokern, CA · 16344 days ago · 3 km deep · 42 km away
  3. 2.414km N of Tehachapi, CA · 16345 days ago · 4 km deep · 90 km away
  4. 2.226km W of Inyokern, CA · 16345 days ago · 5 km deep · 43 km away
  5. 2.725km W of Johannesburg, CA · 16346 days ago · 7 km deep · 44 km away
  6. 1.630km NNW of Barstow, CA · 16347 days ago · 3 km deep · 75 km away
  7. 1.916km ENE of Coso Junction, CA · 16347 days ago · 5 km deep · 50 km away
  8. 2.016km ENE of Coso Junction, CA · 16347 days ago · 5 km deep · 50 km away
  9. 1.723km NE of Arvin, CA · 16348 days ago · 5 km deep · 100 km away
  10. 1.521km E of Coso Junction, CA · 16349 days ago · 5 km deep · 43 km away
  11. 2.42km SE of Ridgecrest, CA · 16349 days ago · -1 km deep · 9 km away
  12. 2.114km ENE of Coso Junction, CA · 16349 days ago · 5 km deep · 51 km away
  13. 1.914km ENE of Coso Junction, CA · 16350 days ago · 5 km deep · 50 km away
  14. 2.78km ESE of Olancha, CA · 16350 days ago · 5 km deep · 68 km away
  15. 2.434km E of Olancha, CA · 16351 days ago · 5 km deep · 64 km away
  16. 1.514km ENE of Coso Junction, CA · 16352 days ago · 4 km deep · 50 km away
  17. 1.514km ENE of Coso Junction, CA · 16353 days ago · 4 km deep · 50 km away
  18. 1.516km ENE of Coso Junction, CA · 16353 days ago · 8 km deep · 49 km away
  19. 1.615km ENE of Coso Junction, CA · 16353 days ago · 4 km deep · 50 km away
  20. 2.613km ENE of Coso Junction, CA · 16353 days ago · 1 km deep · 49 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event ci104113. Read Tue, Sep 29, 2026, 9:59 PM UTC.