California earthquakes

M1.6 earthquake 2 km ESE of San Ardo, California

A magnitude 1.6 earthquake struck 2 km ESE of San Ardo, California on Thu, Jul 16, 1981, 3:26 PM PDT (22:26 UTC), 8 km (5 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M4.2 2 km ESE of Tres Pinos, California. This one was a foreshock.

San Ardo 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
1.6 (Md, duration), micro
Magnitude from
Northern California Seismic System
Local time
UTC
1981-07-16 22:26:04 UTC
Depth
7.7 km (4.8 mi), shallow
Epicenter
36.013° N, 120.877° 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 0.3 km horizontally, 0.6 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.15
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
71°
Stations used
15

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 125 in the 60 days after this one and 67 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 1.923 km NE of San Ardo, California · 16514 days ago · 7 km deep · 23 km away
  2. 1.67 km SSW of San Lucas, California · 16514 days ago · 10 km deep · 16 km away
  3. 2.1Central California · 16514 days ago · 6 km deep · 74 km away
  4. 1.831 km WNW of Coalinga, California · 16513 days ago · 16 km deep · 36 km away
  5. 2.023 km NNE of San Lucas, California · 16513 days ago · 7 km deep · 33 km away
  6. 1.612 km SSE of Parkfield, California · 16512 days ago · 9 km deep · 52 km away
  7. 1.822 km NE of San Ardo, CA · 16512 days ago · 1 km deep · 20 km away
  8. 1.723 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16512 days ago · 5 km deep · 53 km away
  9. 2.123 km NE of San Ardo, California · 16511 days ago · 7 km deep · 23 km away
  10. 1.824 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16508 days ago · 7 km deep · 54 km away
  11. 1.525 km NW of San Simeon, California · 16507 days ago · 10 km deep · 52 km away
  12. 1.522 km NE of San Lucas, California · 16506 days ago · 6 km deep · 29 km away
  13. 3.031 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16506 days ago · 9 km deep · 64 km away
  14. 1.730 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16506 days ago · 7 km deep · 63 km away
  15. 1.58 km SSW of Ridgemark, California · 16506 days ago · 6 km deep · 93 km away
  16. 1.611 km S of Oak Shores, California · 16504 days ago · 4 km deep · 40 km away
  17. 1.811 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 16503 days ago · 4 km deep · 85 km away
  18. 2.121 km NE of Soledad, California · 16503 days ago · 6 km deep · 68 km away
  19. 1.530 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16503 days ago · 8 km deep · 64 km away
  20. 1.713 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16501 days ago · 5 km deep · 81 km away
  21. 2.014 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16501 days ago · 4 km deep · 81 km away
  22. 2.025 km NE of Soledad, California · 16501 days ago · 7 km deep · 70 km away
  23. 1.613 km WNW of Oak Shores, California · 16501 days ago · 5 km deep · 30 km away
  24. 2.438 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16501 days ago · 6 km deep · 60 km away
  25. 2.938 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16501 days ago · 7 km deep · 60 km away
  26. 1.738 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16500 days ago · 4 km deep · 60 km away
  27. 1.938 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16500 days ago · 8 km deep · 60 km away
  28. 1.738 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16500 days ago · 8 km deep · 60 km away
  29. 1.838 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16500 days ago · 7 km deep · 60 km away
  30. 1.638 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16500 days ago · 7 km deep · 60 km away
  31. 1.638 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16500 days ago · 6 km deep · 60 km away
  32. 1.637 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16500 days ago · 5 km deep · 60 km away
  33. 2.338 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16499 days ago · 8 km deep · 60 km away
  34. 1.820 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16498 days ago · 4 km deep · 26 km away
  35. 2.038 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16497 days ago · 6 km deep · 60 km away
  36. 2.324 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16496 days ago · 3 km deep · 54 km away
  37. 1.738 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16496 days ago · 5 km deep · 60 km away
  38. 1.638 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16496 days ago · 5 km deep · 59 km away
  39. 2.78 km SSW of Tres Pinos, California · 16496 days ago · 2 km deep · 91 km away
  40. 3.18 km SSW of Tres Pinos, California · 16496 days ago · 2 km deep · 91 km away
  41. 2.737 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16495 days ago · 7 km deep · 60 km away
  42. 2.038 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16495 days ago · 5 km deep · 60 km away
  43. 1.638 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16495 days ago · 5 km deep · 60 km away
  44. 1.838 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16495 days ago · 4 km deep · 60 km away
  45. 1.838 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16495 days ago · 7 km deep · 60 km away
  46. 2.338 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16494 days ago · 4 km deep · 60 km away
  47. 1.821 km NE of Soledad, California · 16494 days ago · 6 km deep · 69 km away
  48. 1.738 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16494 days ago · 5 km deep · 60 km away
  49. 2.637 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16494 days ago · 7 km deep · 60 km away
  50. 1.5Central California · 16494 days ago · 4 km deep · 59 km away
  51. 2.519 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16492 days ago · 5 km deep · 26 km away
  52. 1.619 km E of Tres Pinos, California · 16492 days ago · 5 km deep · 89 km away
  53. 1.539 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16492 days ago · 11 km deep · 58 km away
  54. 1.730 km WSW of Lockwood, California · 16492 days ago · 8 km deep · 51 km away
  55. 1.829 km NW of San Simeon, California · 16492 days ago · 0 km deep · 51 km away
  56. 1.611 km ESE of Tres Pinos, California · 16491 days ago · 10 km deep · 86 km away
  57. 1.538 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16491 days ago · 7 km deep · 59 km away
  58. 1.521 km NE of Soledad, California · 16488 days ago · 8 km deep · 63 km away
  59. 1.710 km WNW of Avenal, California · 16488 days ago · 9 km deep · 58 km away
  60. 2.810 km W of Huron, California · 16487 days ago · 9 km deep · 63 km away

The first 60 of 125.

Before

  1. 1.732 km W of Lockwood, California · 16515 days ago · 4 km deep · 52 km away
  2. 2.87 km WSW of San Ardo, California · 16515 days ago · 15 km deep · 9 km away
  3. 1.612 km NNE of Cambria, California · 16516 days ago · 6 km deep · 41 km away
  4. 2.120 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16517 days ago · 6 km deep · 74 km away
  5. 3.020 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16517 days ago · 6 km deep · 74 km away
  6. 2.524 km NE of Soledad, California · 16517 days ago · 10 km deep · 64 km away
  7. 2.414km NE of Parkfield, CA · 16518 days ago · 5 km deep · 51 km away
  8. 2.829 km WNW of San Simeon, California · 16518 days ago · 6 km deep · 59 km away
  9. 1.87 km WSW of San Ardo, California · 16518 days ago · 12 km deep · 10 km away
  10. 1.624 km ENE of San Ardo, California · 16518 days ago · 7 km deep · 22 km away
  11. 1.910 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16519 days ago · 8 km deep · 33 km away
  12. 1.721 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16520 days ago · 5 km deep · 61 km away
  13. 1.524 km NE of King City, California · 16521 days ago · 3 km deep · 41 km away
  14. 2.122 km NE of Soledad, California · 16523 days ago · 2 km deep · 63 km away
  15. 1.95 km WNW of San Luis Obispo, California · 16523 days ago · 2 km deep · 81 km away
  16. 1.623 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16523 days ago · 3 km deep · 24 km away
  17. 1.724 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16523 days ago · 5 km deep · 51 km away
  18. 1.623 km ENE of San Lucas, California · 16524 days ago · 4 km deep · 27 km away
  19. 2.023 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16524 days ago · 4 km deep · 58 km away
  20. 1.621 km NE of Soledad, California · 16525 days ago · 8 km deep · 63 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1065643. Read Sat, Oct 3, 2026, 4:42 PM UTC.