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 Wed, Nov 4, 1981, 5:52 PM PST (01:52 UTC), 10 km (6 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M1.8 3 km NW of Carmel Valley Village, 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), micro
Local time
UTC
1981-11-05 01:52:36 UTC
Depth
9.7 km (6.0 mi), shallow
Epicenter
36.011° N, 120.881° 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, 0.5 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.31
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
36°
Stations used
29

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 102 in the 60 days after this one and 45 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 1.83 km NW of Carmel Valley Village, California · 16391 days ago · 10 km deep · 100 km away
  2. 1.524 km ENE of San Lucas, California · 16391 days ago · 5 km deep · 26 km away
  3. 2.68 km SSW of Tres Pinos, California · 16389 days ago · 1 km deep · 88 km away
  4. 2.022 km NE of San Lucas, California · 16389 days ago · 7 km deep · 29 km away
  5. 1.726 km NE of San Ardo, California · 16388 days ago · 5 km deep · 25 km away
  6. 1.623 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16387 days ago · 6 km deep · 56 km away
  7. 1.520 km SW of Three Rocks, California · 16387 days ago · 17 km deep · 50 km away
  8. 1.822 km NNE of San Lucas, California · 16386 days ago · 4 km deep · 33 km away
  9. 2.528 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16384 days ago · 8 km deep · 61 km away
  10. 1.730 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16384 days ago · 7 km deep · 64 km away
  11. 2.527 km SW of South Dos Palos, California · 16382 days ago · -1 km deep · 86 km away
  12. 2.117 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16382 days ago · 5 km deep · 78 km away
  13. 2.817 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16382 days ago · 5 km deep · 78 km away
  14. 1.917 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16382 days ago · 5 km deep · 78 km away
  15. 3.224 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16381 days ago · 8 km deep · 49 km away
  16. 1.523 km NE of Soledad, California · 16381 days ago · 5 km deep · 64 km away
  17. 1.824 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16379 days ago · 5 km deep · 49 km away
  18. 1.625 km NE of San Lucas, California · 16377 days ago · 7 km deep · 31 km away
  19. 1.921 km NW of San Simeon, California · 16376 days ago · 1 km deep · 54 km away
  20. 1.822 km SW of Three Rocks, California · 16375 days ago · 16 km deep · 49 km away
  21. 1.624 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16372 days ago · 5 km deep · 49 km away
  22. 2.116 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16371 days ago · 5 km deep · 29 km away
  23. 2.423 km ENE of San Lucas, California · 16371 days ago · 5 km deep · 25 km away
  24. 1.816 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16371 days ago · 5 km deep · 78 km away
  25. 2.023 km NE of King City, California · 16370 days ago · 4 km deep · 39 km away
  26. 1.76 km WNW of San Ardo, California · 16370 days ago · 6 km deep · 9 km away
  27. 1.86 km WNW of San Ardo, California · 16369 days ago · 6 km deep · 9 km away
  28. 1.721 km NE of Soledad, California · 16369 days ago · 7 km deep · 66 km away
  29. 2.120 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16368 days ago · 4 km deep · 74 km away
  30. 1.530 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16367 days ago · 6 km deep · 64 km away
  31. 1.624 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16367 days ago · 5 km deep · 55 km away
  32. 1.68 km SW of Templeton, California · 16367 days ago · 4 km deep · 58 km away
  33. 1.814 km SSE of Avenal, California · 16366 days ago · 22 km deep · 75 km away
  34. 1.625 km SSW of Los Banos, California · 16366 days ago · 2 km deep · 92 km away
  35. 2.05 km SSW of Ridgemark, California · 16365 days ago · 9 km deep · 96 km away
  36. 1.721 km WSW of Greenfield, California · 16365 days ago · 12 km deep · 56 km away
  37. 1.730 km SW of South Dos Palos, California · 16365 days ago · 1 km deep · 83 km away
  38. 1.830 km SW of South Dos Palos, California · 16365 days ago · 4 km deep · 83 km away
  39. 3.122 km NE of San Ardo, California · 16363 days ago · 8 km deep · 22 km away
  40. 1.921 km NE of Soledad, California · 16361 days ago · 6 km deep · 64 km away
  41. 1.6Near the coast of Central California · 16361 days ago · 8 km deep · 58 km away
  42. 2.1Central California · 16358 days ago · 3 km deep · 100 km away
  43. 1.99 km SSW of Tres Pinos, California · 16358 days ago · 3 km deep · 88 km away
  44. 1.97 km NE of Cambria, California · 16357 days ago · 2 km deep · 47 km away
  45. 1.730 km SE of Big Sur, California · 16357 days ago · 11 km deep · 64 km away
  46. 3.225 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16356 days ago · 7 km deep · 46 km away
  47. 1.638 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16355 days ago · 7 km deep · 58 km away
  48. 2.623 km NE of San Ardo, California · 16354 days ago · 8 km deep · 22 km away
  49. 1.521 km NE of Soledad, California · 16354 days ago · 2 km deep · 67 km away
  50. 2.425 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16354 days ago · 7 km deep · 46 km away
  51. 1.8Central California · 16354 days ago · 6 km deep · 46 km away
  52. 2.521 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16353 days ago · 4 km deep · 26 km away
  53. 1.722 km NE of Soledad, California · 16351 days ago · 2 km deep · 63 km away
  54. 1.65 km SSW of Ridgemark, California · 16351 days ago · 5 km deep · 95 km away
  55. 2.038 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16351 days ago · 7 km deep · 60 km away
  56. 1.638 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16351 days ago · 6 km deep · 60 km away
  57. 3.038 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16351 days ago · 7 km deep · 60 km away
  58. 1.632 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16351 days ago · 28 km deep · 58 km away
  59. 2.638 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16351 days ago · 6 km deep · 59 km away
  60. 1.725 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16351 days ago · 1 km deep · 50 km away

The first 60 of 102.

Before

  1. 1.87 km SW of Templeton, California · 16393 days ago · 5 km deep · 58 km away
  2. 2.411 km WSW of Huron, California · 16393 days ago · 8 km deep · 62 km away
  3. 2.01 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 16393 days ago · 4 km deep · 94 km away
  4. 2.024 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16393 days ago · 6 km deep · 49 km away
  5. 1.95 km SE of Tres Pinos, California · 16393 days ago · 8 km deep · 90 km away
  6. 1.95 km SW of Ridgemark, California · 16394 days ago · 6 km deep · 96 km away
  7. 2.5Central California · 16394 days ago · 2 km deep · 87 km away
  8. 2.424 km NE of King City, California · 16395 days ago · 9 km deep · 41 km away
  9. 1.824 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16397 days ago · 5 km deep · 52 km away
  10. 1.62 km S of Parkfield, California · 16397 days ago · 10 km deep · 43 km away
  11. 1.531 km WNW of Coalinga, California · 16399 days ago · 10 km deep · 31 km away
  12. 2.816 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16400 days ago · 5 km deep · 28 km away
  13. 1.823 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16401 days ago · 6 km deep · 52 km away
  14. 1.86 km NE of Cambria, California · 16401 days ago · 3 km deep · 47 km away
  15. 2.213 km SE of Parkfield, California · 16401 days ago · 10 km deep · 54 km away
  16. 1.519 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16401 days ago · 4 km deep · 27 km away
  17. 1.928 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16402 days ago · 7 km deep · 62 km away
  18. 1.628 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16402 days ago · 7 km deep · 62 km away
  19. 1.922 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16403 days ago · 4 km deep · 25 km away
  20. 1.522 km NNE of Soledad, California · 16404 days ago · 2 km deep · 71 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1069200. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 3:11 PM UTC.