California earthquakes

M1.7 earthquake 12 km SE of Sunol, California

A magnitude 1.7 earthquake struck 12 km SE of Sunol, California on Wed, Jan 7, 1981, 10:21 AM PST (18:21 UTC), 5 km (3 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M2.4 8 km NW of Hollister, California. This one was a foreshock.

Sunol 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
1.7 (md), micro
Local time
UTC
1981-01-07 18:21:49 UTC
Depth
4.9 km (3.0 mi), shallow
Epicenter
37.529° N, 121.769° 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 0.1 km horizontally, 0.5 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.22
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
51°
Stations used
35

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 174 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 2.48 km NW of Hollister, California · 16686 days ago · 9 km deep · 75 km away
  2. 1.511 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16686 days ago · 7 km deep · 23 km away
  3. 1.710 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16686 days ago · 7 km deep · 21 km away
  4. 1.610 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16686 days ago · 7 km deep · 21 km away
  5. 1.612 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16684 days ago · 7 km deep · 23 km away
  6. 1.61 km SW of Alamo, California · 16683 days ago · 9 km deep · 42 km away
  7. 1.75 km NNE of Pittsburg, California · 16683 days ago · 12 km deep · 61 km away
  8. 1.85 km SSW of Gilroy, California · 16682 days ago · 6 km deep · 65 km away
  9. 2.53 km ESE of Berkeley, California · 16682 days ago · 12 km deep · 55 km away
  10. 1.64 km NE of Tres Pinos, California · 16682 days ago · 9 km deep · 90 km away
  11. 2.610 km SW of Brentwood, California · 16681 days ago · 16 km deep · 36 km away
  12. 2.53 km SSE of San Juan Bautista, California · 16681 days ago · 5 km deep · 83 km away
  13. 1.810 km ENE of Milpitas, California · 16681 days ago · 6 km deep · 7 km away
  14. 2.08 km NW of Hollister, California · 16681 days ago · 7 km deep · 74 km away
  15. 2.021 km SW of Diablo Grande, California · 16680 days ago · 34 km deep · 43 km away
  16. 1.68 km NE of Gilroy, California · 16680 days ago · 6 km deep · 59 km away
  17. 1.71 km S of Discovery Bay, California · 16679 days ago · 11 km deep · 43 km away
  18. 2.47 km SW of Brentwood, California · 16679 days ago · 16 km deep · 39 km away
  19. 2.010 km NNE of Livermore, California · 16678 days ago · 12 km deep · 27 km away
  20. 1.812 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16678 days ago · 4 km deep · 24 km away
  21. 1.59 km SSW of Tres Pinos, California · 16677 days ago · 3 km deep · 98 km away
  22. 1.66 km NNE of Interlaken, California · 16677 days ago · 7 km deep · 58 km away
  23. 1.92 km N of Monte Sereno, California · 16677 days ago · 4 km deep · 36 km away
  24. 1.810 km SW of Brentwood, California · 16677 days ago · 14 km deep · 36 km away
  25. 2.014 km SSE of Livermore, California · 16676 days ago · 2 km deep · 8 km away
  26. 1.83 km SW of Muir Beach, California · 16676 days ago · 2 km deep · 81 km away
  27. 2.61 km N of Pleasant Hill, California · 16676 days ago · 9 km deep · 55 km away
  28. 1.610 km ENE of Seven Trees, California · 16675 days ago · 3 km deep · 24 km away
  29. 1.72 km N of Ashland, California · 16675 days ago · 6 km deep · 37 km away
  30. 1.58 km ENE of Gilroy, California · 16675 days ago · 6 km deep · 59 km away
  31. 2.06 km ENE of San Martin, California · 16675 days ago · 5 km deep · 52 km away
  32. 1.86 km E of San Martin, California · 16675 days ago · 5 km deep · 52 km away
  33. 2.116 km E of East Foothills, California · 16674 days ago · 7 km deep · 19 km away
  34. 4.14 km SE of Aromas, California · 16674 days ago · 7 km deep · 76 km away
  35. 2.64 km ESE of Aromas, California · 16674 days ago · 6 km deep · 75 km away
  36. 2.34 km SE of Aromas, California · 16674 days ago · 6 km deep · 76 km away
  37. 2.04 km ESE of Aromas, California · 16674 days ago · 7 km deep · 75 km away
  38. 2.84 km ESE of Aromas, California · 16674 days ago · 7 km deep · 75 km away
  39. 2.34 km SE of Aromas, California · 16674 days ago · 6 km deep · 75 km away
  40. 2.63 km SE of Aromas, California · 16674 days ago · 7 km deep · 75 km away
  41. 1.69 km NNE of Morgan Hill, California · 16674 days ago · 4 km deep · 39 km away
  42. 1.84 km ESE of Aromas, California · 16673 days ago · 7 km deep · 75 km away
  43. 2.23 km ESE of Aromas, California · 16673 days ago · 7 km deep · 74 km away
  44. 2.94 km SE of Aromas, California · 16673 days ago · 7 km deep · 75 km away
  45. 2.03 km SSW of Davenport, California · 16672 days ago · 6 km deep · 72 km away
  46. 2.24 km SE of Aromas, California · 16671 days ago · 7 km deep · 75 km away
  47. 1.79 km ENE of Morgan Hill, California · 16671 days ago · 6 km deep · 45 km away
  48. 1.73 km ESE of Aromas, California · 16671 days ago · 7 km deep · 74 km away
  49. 2.49 km ENE of Morgan Hill, California · 16671 days ago · 5 km deep · 45 km away
  50. 3.49 km ENE of Morgan Hill, California · 16670 days ago · 6 km deep · 45 km away
  51. 2.23 km ESE of Aromas, California · 16670 days ago · 8 km deep · 74 km away
  52. 1.79 km SW of Ripon, California · 16670 days ago · 5 km deep · 53 km away
  53. 2.010 km SW of Brentwood, California · 16670 days ago · 14 km deep · 36 km away
  54. 1.915 km SSE of Livermore, California · 16669 days ago · 3 km deep · 10 km away
  55. 2.04 km ESE of Aromas, California · 16668 days ago · 6 km deep · 75 km away
  56. 2.4Central California · 16668 days ago · 3 km deep · 64 km away
  57. 1.511 km E of Blackhawk, California · 16668 days ago · 5 km deep · 34 km away
  58. 1.54 km NNE of Morgan Hill, California · 16667 days ago · 5 km deep · 42 km away
  59. 2.75 km ESE of Aromas, California · 16666 days ago · 6 km deep · 75 km away
  60. 1.63 km WNW of San Juan Bautista, California · 16666 days ago · 1 km deep · 77 km away

The first 60 of 174.

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1058981. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 4:09 PM UTC.