California earthquakes

M1.5 earthquake 21 km NE of Soledad, California

A magnitude 1.5 earthquake struck 21 km NE of Soledad, California on Sat, Jan 17, 1981, 11:55 AM PST (19:55 UTC), 6 km (4 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M4.1 4 km SE of Aromas, California. This one was a foreshock.

Soledad 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
1.5 (md), micro
Local time
UTC
1981-01-17 19:55:12 UTC
Depth
5.9 km (3.7 mi), shallow
Epicenter
36.562° N, 121.151° 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, 0.8 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.16
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
80°
Stations used
13

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 195 in the 60 days after this one and 82 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 2.57 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16691 days ago · 10 km deep · 91 km away
  2. 1.524 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16690 days ago · 6 km deep · 14 km away
  3. 1.923 km NE of San Lucas, California · 16690 days ago · 6 km deep · 38 km away
  4. 1.85 km SSW of Gilroy, California · 16689 days ago · 6 km deep · 60 km away
  5. 1.64 km NE of Tres Pinos, California · 16688 days ago · 9 km deep · 31 km away
  6. 2.53 km SSE of San Juan Bautista, California · 16688 days ago · 5 km deep · 44 km away
  7. 2.08 km NW of Hollister, California · 16688 days ago · 7 km deep · 48 km away
  8. 2.224 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16688 days ago · 6 km deep · 14 km away
  9. 1.925 km NE of Soledad, California · 16688 days ago · 8 km deep · 4 km away
  10. 1.624 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16688 days ago · 6 km deep · 14 km away
  11. 2.021 km SW of Diablo Grande, California · 16687 days ago · 34 km deep · 80 km away
  12. 1.68 km NE of Gilroy, California · 16687 days ago · 6 km deep · 62 km away
  13. 1.623 km NE of Soledad, California · 16686 days ago · 5 km deep · 2 km away
  14. 1.812 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16685 days ago · 4 km deep · 97 km away
  15. 1.59 km SSW of Tres Pinos, California · 16684 days ago · 3 km deep · 25 km away
  16. 1.66 km NNE of Interlaken, California · 16684 days ago · 7 km deep · 69 km away
  17. 1.624 km NE of King City, California · 16684 days ago · 0 km deep · 25 km away
  18. 1.54 km W of Gonzales, California · 16683 days ago · 7 km deep · 32 km away
  19. 1.610 km ENE of Seven Trees, California · 16682 days ago · 3 km deep · 98 km away
  20. 1.733 km NE of San Lucas, California · 16682 days ago · 6 km deep · 44 km away
  21. 1.58 km ENE of Gilroy, California · 16682 days ago · 6 km deep · 62 km away
  22. 1.73 km SE of San Ardo, California · 16682 days ago · 11 km deep · 67 km away
  23. 1.534 km NE of San Lucas, California · 16682 days ago · 8 km deep · 43 km away
  24. 1.723 km NE of Soledad, California · 16682 days ago · 8 km deep · 3 km away
  25. 2.06 km ENE of San Martin, California · 16682 days ago · 5 km deep · 69 km away
  26. 1.624 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16682 days ago · 5 km deep · 21 km away
  27. 1.86 km E of San Martin, California · 16682 days ago · 5 km deep · 69 km away
  28. 1.612 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 16681 days ago · 4 km deep · 19 km away
  29. 1.612 km NNW of Coalinga, California · 16681 days ago · 8 km deep · 76 km away
  30. 1.913 km N of Coalinga, California · 16681 days ago · 9 km deep · 78 km away
  31. 1.922 km NE of Soledad, California · 16681 days ago · 2 km deep · 3 km away
  32. 4.14 km SE of Aromas, California · 16681 days ago · 7 km deep · 52 km away
  33. 2.64 km ESE of Aromas, California · 16681 days ago · 6 km deep · 52 km away
  34. 2.34 km SE of Aromas, California · 16681 days ago · 6 km deep · 52 km away
  35. 2.04 km ESE of Aromas, California · 16681 days ago · 7 km deep · 53 km away
  36. 2.84 km ESE of Aromas, California · 16681 days ago · 7 km deep · 53 km away
  37. 2.34 km SE of Aromas, California · 16681 days ago · 6 km deep · 53 km away
  38. 2.63 km SE of Aromas, California · 16681 days ago · 7 km deep · 53 km away
  39. 1.69 km NNE of Morgan Hill, California · 16680 days ago · 4 km deep · 82 km away
  40. 1.84 km ESE of Aromas, California · 16680 days ago · 7 km deep · 53 km away
  41. 2.23 km ESE of Aromas, California · 16680 days ago · 7 km deep · 54 km away
  42. 2.94 km SE of Aromas, California · 16680 days ago · 7 km deep · 52 km away
  43. 2.022 km NNE of Soledad, California · 16679 days ago · 8 km deep · 7 km away
  44. 1.722 km NE of San Lucas, California · 16679 days ago · 6 km deep · 43 km away
  45. 2.24 km SE of Aromas, California · 16678 days ago · 7 km deep · 53 km away
  46. 1.622 km ENE of San Ardo, California · 16678 days ago · 2 km deep · 66 km away
  47. 3.625 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16678 days ago · 2 km deep · 73 km away
  48. 1.79 km ENE of Morgan Hill, California · 16678 days ago · 6 km deep · 76 km away
  49. 1.73 km ESE of Aromas, California · 16678 days ago · 7 km deep · 53 km away
  50. 2.49 km ENE of Morgan Hill, California · 16678 days ago · 5 km deep · 76 km away
  51. 1.812 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 16677 days ago · 4 km deep · 18 km away
  52. 3.512 km NE of Coalinga, California · 16677 days ago · 17 km deep · 87 km away
  53. 3.49 km ENE of Morgan Hill, California · 16677 days ago · 6 km deep · 76 km away
  54. 1.524 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16677 days ago · 7 km deep · 15 km away
  55. 2.512km W of Avenal, CA · 16677 days ago · 5 km deep · 99 km away
  56. 3.425 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16677 days ago · 3 km deep · 73 km away
  57. 3.523 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16677 days ago · 1 km deep · 74 km away
  58. 2.23 km ESE of Aromas, California · 16677 days ago · 8 km deep · 54 km away
  59. 2.023 km NE of Soledad, California · 16677 days ago · 8 km deep · 3 km away
  60. 1.723 km SE of Tres Pinos, California · 16676 days ago · 8 km deep · 7 km away

The first 60 of 195.

Before

  1. 1.612 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16691 days ago · 7 km deep · 98 km away
  2. 1.621 km NE of Soledad, California · 16691 days ago · 6 km deep · 0 km away
  3. 3.17 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16692 days ago · 11 km deep · 91 km away
  4. 2.224 km NE of San Lucas, California · 16693 days ago · 11 km deep · 43 km away
  5. 1.610 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16693 days ago · 7 km deep · 100 km away
  6. 1.511 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16693 days ago · 7 km deep · 99 km away
  7. 2.48 km NW of Hollister, California · 16693 days ago · 9 km deep · 47 km away
  8. 2.211 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16693 days ago · 7 km deep · 99 km away
  9. 2.411 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16693 days ago · 7 km deep · 99 km away
  10. 1.610 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16693 days ago · 7 km deep · 100 km away
  11. 1.710 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16693 days ago · 7 km deep · 99 km away
  12. 1.56 km WNW of Hollister, California · 16693 days ago · 6 km deep · 45 km away
  13. 2.013 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16694 days ago · 4 km deep · 84 km away
  14. 1.722 km NE of Soledad, California · 16694 days ago · 4 km deep · 4 km away
  15. 1.75 km WNW of San Juan Bautista, California · 16694 days ago · 5 km deep · 51 km away
  16. 3.115 km NW of San Simeon, California · 16694 days ago · 6 km deep · 95 km away
  17. 2.67 km ENE of Gilroy, California · 16695 days ago · 7 km deep · 60 km away
  18. 1.618 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16696 days ago · 4 km deep · 11 km away
  19. 2.18 km ENE of Gilroy, California · 16697 days ago · 9 km deep · 61 km away
  20. 2.512 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 16697 days ago · 5 km deep · 18 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1059373. Read Tue, Sep 29, 2026, 3:01 PM UTC.