California earthquakes

M1.5 earthquake 19 km SE of Round Mountain, California

A magnitude 1.5 earthquake struck 19 km SE of Round Mountain, California on Wed, Dec 30, 1981, 6:21 PM PST (02:21 UTC), 29 km (18 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M1.9 14 km NNE of Mineral, 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: 1.5 (md), micro
Local time: Wed, Dec 30, 1981, 6:21 PM PST
UTC: 1981-12-31 02:21:21 UTC
Depth: 29.2 km (18.1 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 40.688° N, 121.761° W
Region: California
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 9.2 km horizontally, 4.6 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty: ±0.19
Depth from: From location
Station coverage gap: 271°, poorly surrounded by stations
Stations used: 4

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 61 in the 60 days after this one and 12 in the 30 days before it.

After

The first 60 of 61.

Before

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1070826. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 9:36 PM UTC.