California earthquakes

M3.1 earthquake 31 km NE of Soledad, California

A magnitude 3.1 earthquake struck 31 km NE of Soledad, California on Sun, Sep 27, 1981, 10:02 PM PDT (05:02 UTC), 8 km (5 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M4.0 3 km S of San Juan Bautista, 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.

Open the live map with earthquakes

The earthquake

Magnitude
3.1 (md), minor
Local time
UTC
1981-09-28 05:02:42 UTC
Depth
8.2 km (5.1 mi), shallow
Epicenter
36.600° N, 121.050° 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
±0.13
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
40°
Stations used
70

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 122 in the 60 days after this one and 70 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 1.67 km SSE of Gilroy, California · 16430 days ago · 5 km deep · 58 km away
  2. 4.03 km S of San Juan Bautista, California · 16430 days ago · 9 km deep · 50 km away
  3. 1.812 km ESE of Tres Pinos, California · 16430 days ago · 10 km deep · 20 km away
  4. 2.44 km S of San Juan Bautista, California · 16430 days ago · 9 km deep · 49 km away
  5. 1.54 km S of San Juan Bautista, California · 16430 days ago · 8 km deep · 49 km away
  6. 2.34 km S of San Juan Bautista, California · 16430 days ago · 7 km deep · 48 km away
  7. 2.54 km SSE of San Juan Bautista, California · 16430 days ago · 7 km deep · 48 km away
  8. 2.44 km SSE of San Juan Bautista, California · 16430 days ago · 7 km deep · 48 km away
  9. 2.13 km SSW of San Juan Bautista, California · 16429 days ago · 7 km deep · 50 km away
  10. 2.74 km S of San Juan Bautista, California · 16429 days ago · 7 km deep · 49 km away
  11. 1.623 km NE of San Lucas, California · 16428 days ago · 5 km deep · 38 km away
  12. 2.514 km SSW of Lockwood, California · 16428 days ago · 6 km deep · 87 km away
  13. 3.222 km NE of Soledad, California · 16427 days ago · 7 km deep · 12 km away
  14. 1.921 km NE of Soledad, California · 16427 days ago · 6 km deep · 12 km away
  15. 1.813 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 16427 days ago · 3 km deep · 23 km away
  16. 1.621 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16426 days ago · 2 km deep · 75 km away
  17. 1.54 km SSE of Diablo Grande, California · 16425 days ago · 8 km deep · 87 km away
  18. 1.921 km NE of Soledad, California · 16424 days ago · 6 km deep · 12 km away
  19. 2.33 km S of San Juan Bautista, California · 16423 days ago · 7 km deep · 50 km away
  20. 2.010 km SW of Ridgemark, California · 16423 days ago · 10 km deep · 40 km away
  21. 2.08 km W of Huron, California · 16422 days ago · 9 km deep · 88 km away
  22. 1.86 km SE of Lexington Hills, California · 16422 days ago · 13 km deep · 96 km away
  23. 2.123 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16422 days ago · 5 km deep · 11 km away
  24. 2.227 km E of Tres Pinos, California · 16421 days ago · 3 km deep · 16 km away
  25. 1.94 km SSE of San Juan Bautista, California · 16421 days ago · 7 km deep · 48 km away
  26. 1.621 km NE of Soledad, California · 16420 days ago · 3 km deep · 10 km away
  27. 1.57 km WSW of Ridgemark, California · 16420 days ago · 9 km deep · 41 km away
  28. 1.67 km WSW of Ridgemark, California · 16420 days ago · 9 km deep · 42 km away
  29. 1.625 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16420 days ago · 1 km deep · 17 km away
  30. 1.66 km SW of Gilroy, California · 16420 days ago · 5 km deep · 66 km away
  31. 2.013 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 16420 days ago · 2 km deep · 23 km away
  32. 2.07 km WSW of Ridgemark, California · 16419 days ago · 9 km deep · 42 km away
  33. 1.923 km NE of King City, California · 16419 days ago · 4 km deep · 29 km away
  34. 1.732 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16418 days ago · 12 km deep · 28 km away
  35. 2.1Central California · 16417 days ago · 11 km deep · 81 km away
  36. 1.68 km W of Oak Shores, California · 16416 days ago · 7 km deep · 92 km away
  37. 2.87 km WSW of Ridgemark, California · 16415 days ago · 9 km deep · 41 km away
  38. 1.822 km ENE of San Ardo, California · 16414 days ago · 2 km deep · 64 km away
  39. 1.79 km NNW of Hollister, California · 16414 days ago · 10 km deep · 51 km away
  40. 1.610 km ESE of Gilroy, California · 16413 days ago · 5 km deep · 55 km away
  41. 2.021 km NE of Soledad, California · 16413 days ago · 6 km deep · 11 km away
  42. 1.82 km ESE of Tres Pinos, California · 16413 days ago · 8 km deep · 29 km away
  43. 1.528 km NE of San Lucas, California · 16412 days ago · 9 km deep · 41 km away
  44. 1.510 km ESE of Gilroy, California · 16412 days ago · 5 km deep · 55 km away
  45. 2.03 km ESE of Tres Pinos, California · 16412 days ago · 7 km deep · 29 km away
  46. 1.630 km SW of South Dos Palos, California · 16410 days ago · 1 km deep · 23 km away
  47. 2.46 km SSE of San Juan Bautista, California · 16410 days ago · 9 km deep · 47 km away
  48. 1.66 km SSE of San Juan Bautista, California · 16410 days ago · 9 km deep · 47 km away
  49. 1.78 km S of Gilroy, California · 16410 days ago · 7 km deep · 58 km away
  50. 1.621 km NE of Soledad, California · 16409 days ago · 3 km deep · 12 km away
  51. 2.130 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16409 days ago · 7 km deep · 3 km away
  52. 1.530 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16409 days ago · 8 km deep · 3 km away
  53. 2.714 km E of Seven Trees, California · 16407 days ago · 7 km deep · 97 km away
  54. 1.923 km SSW of South Dos Palos, California · 16406 days ago · 4 km deep · 31 km away
  55. 1.99 km NE of Gilroy, California · 16406 days ago · 8 km deep · 65 km away
  56. 2.624 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16405 days ago · 6 km deep · 15 km away
  57. 1.715 km NE of Morgan Hill, California · 16405 days ago · 7 km deep · 83 km away
  58. 2.61 km NE of Tres Pinos, California · 16404 days ago · 8 km deep · 32 km away
  59. 2.41 km NE of Tres Pinos, California · 16404 days ago · 8 km deep · 32 km away
  60. 2.013 km N of Hollister, California · 16404 days ago · 6 km deep · 51 km away

The first 60 of 122.

Before

  1. 2.123 km NE of Soledad, California · 16431 days ago · 9 km deep · 8 km away
  2. 1.927 km ENE of King City, California · 16431 days ago · 9 km deep · 32 km away
  3. 2.49 km NE of Gilroy, California · 16431 days ago · 9 km deep · 65 km away
  4. 1.75 km SSW of Gilroy, California · 16432 days ago · 4 km deep · 63 km away
  5. 2.118 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16432 days ago · 5 km deep · 18 km away
  6. 3.014 km SSE of Coalinga, California · 16432 days ago · 0 km deep · 94 km away
  7. 2.112 km SE of Coalinga, California · 16432 days ago · 9 km deep · 93 km away
  8. 1.84 km SW of Tres Pinos, California · 16432 days ago · 8 km deep · 33 km away
  9. 2.2Central California · 16433 days ago · 6 km deep · 86 km away
  10. 2.123 km NE of San Lucas, California · 16433 days ago · 7 km deep · 44 km away
  11. 1.725 km WSW of Coalinga, California · 16433 days ago · 2 km deep · 70 km away
  12. 1.9Central California · 16433 days ago · 2 km deep · 67 km away
  13. 1.64 km S of San Juan Bautista, California · 16434 days ago · 7 km deep · 49 km away
  14. 3.13 km S of San Juan Bautista, California · 16434 days ago · 7 km deep · 49 km away
  15. 3.23 km S of San Juan Bautista, California · 16434 days ago · 8 km deep · 50 km away
  16. 1.923 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16434 days ago · 3 km deep · 12 km away
  17. 2.217 km NNW of San Simeon, California · 16434 days ago · 4 km deep · 93 km away
  18. 2.330 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16434 days ago · 7 km deep · 4 km away
  19. 1.720 km W of Volta, California · 16435 days ago · 0 km deep · 55 km away
  20. 1.82 km E of Tres Pinos, California · 16435 days ago · 8 km deep · 31 km away

Earthquakes todayCalifornia earthquakesLive radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1068002. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 11:33 AM UTC.