California earthquakes

M1.5 earthquake 23 km ENE of Soledad, California

A magnitude 1.5 earthquake struck 23 km ENE of Soledad, California on Sun, Dec 20, 1981, 10:54 AM PST (18:54 UTC), 2 km (1 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M1.7 7 km NE 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
1981-12-20 18:54:00 UTC
Depth
2.3 km (1.4 mi), shallow
Epicenter
36.502° N, 121.077° 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, 0.4 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.43
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
97°
Stations used
14

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 140 in the 60 days after this one and 42 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 1.77 km NE of Aromas, California · 16346 days ago · 6 km deep · 65 km away
  2. 1.84 km SE of Tres Pinos, California · 16346 days ago · 7 km deep · 35 km away
  3. 1.8Central California · 16346 days ago · 3 km deep · 73 km away
  4. 1.64 km ESE of Aromas, California · 16345 days ago · 7 km deep · 62 km away
  5. 2.021 km NE of Soledad, California · 16345 days ago · 8 km deep · 13 km away
  6. 1.72 km ESE of Aromas, California · 16345 days ago · 8 km deep · 63 km away
  7. 1.827 km W of Lockwood, California · 16344 days ago · 11 km deep · 69 km away
  8. 1.524 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16344 days ago · 7 km deep · 3 km away
  9. 2.09 km NNE of Interlaken, California · 16344 days ago · 7 km deep · 80 km away
  10. 1.931 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16343 days ago · 13 km deep · 31 km away
  11. 2.51 km E of Tres Pinos, California · 16343 days ago · 7 km deep · 38 km away
  12. 1.725 km SSW of South Dos Palos, California · 16343 days ago · 2 km deep · 39 km away
  13. 1.524 km SSW of South Dos Palos, California · 16343 days ago · 0 km deep · 39 km away
  14. 1.812 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16342 days ago · 10 km deep · 49 km away
  15. 1.825 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16342 days ago · 6 km deep · 12 km away
  16. 2.024 km NE of San Lucas, California · 16341 days ago · 6 km deep · 35 km away
  17. 1.85 km SW of Gilroy, California · 16341 days ago · 3 km deep · 70 km away
  18. 1.521 km NE of Soledad, California · 16341 days ago · 8 km deep · 7 km away
  19. 1.610 km SE of San Juan Bautista, California · 16341 days ago · 7 km deep · 46 km away
  20. 1.514 km SW of Coalinga, California · 16341 days ago · 6 km deep · 72 km away
  21. 1.68 km NNE of Interlaken, California · 16340 days ago · 10 km deep · 79 km away
  22. 1.612 km ENE of Hollister, California · 16340 days ago · 4 km deep · 48 km away
  23. 1.610 km SSE of Three Rocks, California · 16340 days ago · 5 km deep · 65 km away
  24. 2.19 km NW of Hollister, California · 16340 days ago · 7 km deep · 58 km away
  25. 1.621 km NE of Soledad, California · 16340 days ago · 3 km deep · 11 km away
  26. 1.833 km SE of Tres Pinos, California · 16339 days ago · 7 km deep · 13 km away
  27. 2.024 km NE of King City, California · 16338 days ago · 0 km deep · 16 km away
  28. 1.525 km SE of Tres Pinos, California · 16337 days ago · 6 km deep · 15 km away
  29. 2.128 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16337 days ago · 9 km deep · 6 km away
  30. 1.724 km ENE of San Lucas, California · 16335 days ago · 5 km deep · 41 km away
  31. 1.625 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16335 days ago · 5 km deep · 13 km away
  32. 1.89 km SSW of Ridgemark, California · 16334 days ago · 8 km deep · 40 km away
  33. 1.524 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16333 days ago · 5 km deep · 11 km away
  34. 3.128 km SE of Tres Pinos, California · 16332 days ago · 11 km deep · 14 km away
  35. 2.22 km SSW of Hollister, California · 16332 days ago · 8 km deep · 47 km away
  36. 1.79 km NE of San Martin, California · 16330 days ago · 6 km deep · 84 km away
  37. 1.911 km NNW of Huron, California · 16330 days ago · 18 km deep · 84 km away
  38. 1.921 km WSW of Three Rocks, California · 16330 days ago · 11 km deep · 41 km away
  39. 2.123 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16328 days ago · 6 km deep · 5 km away
  40. 1.929 km SE of Tres Pinos, California · 16328 days ago · 10 km deep · 13 km away
  41. 1.816 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16326 days ago · 2 km deep · 23 km away
  42. 2.122 km NNE of Soledad, California · 16326 days ago · 5 km deep · 16 km away
  43. 1.611 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 16326 days ago · 4 km deep · 29 km away
  44. 2.69 km S of South Dos Palos, California · 16325 days ago · -1 km deep · 57 km away
  45. 2.510 km S of South Dos Palos, California · 16325 days ago · 3 km deep · 57 km away
  46. 2.411 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 16325 days ago · 4 km deep · 29 km away
  47. 2.713 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16325 days ago · 3 km deep · 26 km away
  48. 2.723 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16325 days ago · 5 km deep · 3 km away
  49. 2.39 km NE of Gilroy, California · 16325 days ago · 9 km deep · 72 km away
  50. 2.611 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 16324 days ago · 4 km deep · 29 km away
  51. 1.920 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16324 days ago · 4 km deep · 19 km away
  52. 1.624 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16323 days ago · 2 km deep · 0 km away
  53. 2.017 km SSW of South Dos Palos, California · 16323 days ago · 3 km deep · 46 km away
  54. 2.910 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 16322 days ago · 4 km deep · 30 km away
  55. 1.716 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16321 days ago · 3 km deep · 23 km away
  56. 2.124 km NE of San Lucas, California · 16320 days ago · 4 km deep · 29 km away
  57. 2.08 km NE of Hollister, California · 16319 days ago · 2 km deep · 49 km away
  58. 2.821 km WSW of Greenfield, California · 16318 days ago · 11 km deep · 46 km away
  59. 2.425 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16317 days ago · 4 km deep · 13 km away
  60. 1.525 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16317 days ago · 1 km deep · 8 km away

The first 60 of 140.

Before

  1. 1.825 km NE of Soledad, California · 16347 days ago · 9 km deep · 10 km away
  2. 1.925 km NE of Soledad, California · 16347 days ago · 9 km deep · 10 km away
  3. 1.737 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16347 days ago · 5 km deep · 25 km away
  4. 1.624 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16347 days ago · 1 km deep · 9 km away
  5. 2.324 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16348 days ago · 4 km deep · 4 km away
  6. 1.914 km WSW of Three Rocks, California · 16348 days ago · 14 km deep · 47 km away
  7. 1.938 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16349 days ago · 5 km deep · 23 km away
  8. 2.037 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16349 days ago · 7 km deep · 24 km away
  9. 1.737 km W of Lockwood, California · 16349 days ago · 14 km deep · 70 km away
  10. 1.629 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16349 days ago · 5 km deep · 7 km away
  11. 2.523 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16350 days ago · 5 km deep · 1 km away
  12. 2.538 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16350 days ago · 6 km deep · 24 km away
  13. 1.524 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16350 days ago · 5 km deep · 9 km away
  14. 1.537 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16350 days ago · -1 km deep · 24 km away
  15. 2.738 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16351 days ago · 5 km deep · 23 km away
  16. 1.725 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16351 days ago · 1 km deep · 9 km away
  17. 2.638 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16351 days ago · 6 km deep · 24 km away
  18. 1.632 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16351 days ago · 28 km deep · 29 km away
  19. 1.88 km ENE of Morgan Hill, California · 16351 days ago · 4 km deep · 85 km away
  20. 3.038 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16351 days ago · 7 km deep · 24 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1070493. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 3:36 PM UTC.