California earthquakes

M2.3 earthquake 11 km SE of Sunol, California

A magnitude 2.3 earthquake struck 11 km SE of Sunol, California on Sun, Aug 16, 1981, 3:51 AM PDT (10:51 UTC), 3 km (2 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M3.1 9 km SW of Tres Pinos, CA. 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
2.3 (md), micro
Local time
UTC
1981-08-16 10:51:57 UTC
Depth
2.8 km (1.7 mi), shallow
Epicenter
37.527° N, 121.789° 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, 0.8 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.01
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
70°
Stations used
20

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 99 in the 60 days after this one and 61 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 1.612 km WNW of Davenport, California · 16473 days ago · 4 km deep · 71 km away
  2. 1.92 km NE of Ridgemark, California · 16473 days ago · 7 km deep · 87 km away
  3. 1.79 km SE of Livermore, California · 16471 days ago · 8 km deep · 15 km away
  4. 1.52 km NE of Corralitos, California · 16470 days ago · 10 km deep · 58 km away
  5. 3.19 km SW of Tres Pinos, CA · 16470 days ago · 2 km deep · 96 km away
  6. 1.9Central California · 16470 days ago · 4 km deep · 87 km away
  7. 1.68 km SE of San Juan Bautista, California · 16470 days ago · 5 km deep · 87 km away
  8. 3.22 km SW of San Juan Bautista, California · 16469 days ago · 5 km deep · 80 km away
  9. 1.73 km NNW of Hollister, California · 16469 days ago · 7 km deep · 79 km away
  10. 1.76 km ENE of East Foothills, California · 16468 days ago · 4 km deep · 15 km away
  11. 2.18 km SW of Tres Pinos, California · 16466 days ago · 3 km deep · 95 km away
  12. 2.33 km S of San Juan Bautista, California · 16466 days ago · 6 km deep · 83 km away
  13. 1.98 km ENE of San Martin, California · 16465 days ago · 5 km deep · 52 km away
  14. 1.615 km E of Seven Trees, California · 16465 days ago · 3 km deep · 29 km away
  15. 1.611 km E of Blackhawk, California · 16464 days ago · 13 km deep · 34 km away
  16. 1.815 km E of Seven Trees, California · 16464 days ago · 3 km deep · 29 km away
  17. 2.122 km SE of Livermore, California · 16464 days ago · 6 km deep · 19 km away
  18. 3.011 km SW of Brentwood, California · 16463 days ago · 16 km deep · 36 km away
  19. 1.814 km E of Seven Trees, California · 16463 days ago · 2 km deep · 28 km away
  20. 2.111 km E of Blackhawk, California · 16463 days ago · 14 km deep · 34 km away
  21. 2.37 km E of East Foothills, California · 16462 days ago · 6 km deep · 18 km away
  22. 1.89 km ENE of Gilroy, California · 16460 days ago · 9 km deep · 61 km away
  23. 2.12 km E of San Leandro, California · 16460 days ago · 5 km deep · 37 km away
  24. 2.412 km N of Livermore, California · 16460 days ago · 12 km deep · 30 km away
  25. 1.65 km E of Fremont, California · 16458 days ago · 9 km deep · 12 km away
  26. 2.06 km S of Sunol, California · 16457 days ago · 9 km deep · 9 km away
  27. 1.74 km N of Milpitas, California · 16457 days ago · 3 km deep · 12 km away
  28. 1.65 km E of Fremont, California · 16457 days ago · 10 km deep · 12 km away
  29. 1.99 km SSW of Tres Pinos, California · 16456 days ago · 2 km deep · 99 km away
  30. 1.518 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16456 days ago · 1 km deep · 28 km away
  31. 1.611 km ENE of Milpitas, California · 16456 days ago · 4 km deep · 5 km away
  32. 1.65 km SSW of Tres Pinos, California · 16454 days ago · 9 km deep · 96 km away
  33. 1.89 km E of San Martin, California · 16453 days ago · 9 km deep · 56 km away
  34. 1.611 km SSW of Loyola, California · 16453 days ago · 10 km deep · 44 km away
  35. 1.55 km ESE of Aromas, California · 16452 days ago · 7 km deep · 76 km away
  36. 2.19 km ENE of Morgan Hill, California · 16451 days ago · 6 km deep · 46 km away
  37. 1.62 km SSW of San Juan Bautista, California · 16450 days ago · 6 km deep · 81 km away
  38. 3.26 km S of San Juan Bautista, California · 16450 days ago · 11 km deep · 85 km away
  39. 2.96 km S of San Juan Bautista, California · 16450 days ago · 10 km deep · 85 km away
  40. 1.61 km WSW of Belmont, California · 16448 days ago · 3 km deep · 44 km away
  41. 3.09 km NE of San Martin, California · 16447 days ago · 8 km deep · 47 km away
  42. 1.77 km ESE of Prunedale, California · 16446 days ago · 8 km deep · 87 km away
  43. 2.67 km W of Gilroy, California · 16446 days ago · 4 km deep · 60 km away
  44. 1.65 km SW of Ridgemark, California · 16445 days ago · 9 km deep · 90 km away
  45. 2.011 km SSW of Loyola, California · 16444 days ago · 9 km deep · 45 km away
  46. 1.615 km N of Morgan Hill, California · 16443 days ago · 6 km deep · 32 km away
  47. 1.615 km N of Morgan Hill, California · 16443 days ago · 6 km deep · 32 km away
  48. 1.75 km WNW of Broadmoor, California · 16442 days ago · 4 km deep · 69 km away
  49. 2.54 km SW of Tres Pinos, California · 16442 days ago · 9 km deep · 94 km away
  50. 1.69 km SSW of Tres Pinos, California · 16442 days ago · 2 km deep · 99 km away
  51. 1.714 km E of Seven Trees, California · 16441 days ago · 4 km deep · 28 km away
  52. 1.521 km ENE of East Foothills, California · 16438 days ago · 6 km deep · 18 km away
  53. 2.19 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16438 days ago · 5 km deep · 20 km away
  54. 2.03 km SW of Davenport, California · 16437 days ago · 11 km deep · 71 km away
  55. 2.44 km SW of Tres Pinos, California · 16436 days ago · 9 km deep · 93 km away
  56. 1.82 km NNE of Woodside, California · 16436 days ago · 5 km deep · 41 km away
  57. 1.82 km E of Tres Pinos, California · 16436 days ago · 8 km deep · 93 km away
  58. 1.720 km W of Volta, California · 16436 days ago · 0 km deep · 74 km away
  59. 1.88 km ENE of Blackhawk, California · 16435 days ago · 14 km deep · 36 km away
  60. 3.23 km S of San Juan Bautista, California · 16435 days ago · 8 km deep · 82 km away

The first 60 of 99.

Before

  1. 1.52 km ESE of Tres Pinos, California · 16474 days ago · 8 km deep · 94 km away
  2. 2.94 km W of San Juan Bautista, California · 16475 days ago · 6 km deep · 77 km away
  3. 1.65 km WSW of Gilroy, California · 16476 days ago · 4 km deep · 63 km away
  4. 2.63 km ESE of Tres Pinos, California · 16476 days ago · 8 km deep · 95 km away
  5. 4.22 km ESE of Tres Pinos, California · 16476 days ago · 9 km deep · 94 km away
  6. 1.76 km SE of Lexington Hills, California · 16476 days ago · 11 km deep · 45 km away
  7. 1.612 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16477 days ago · 5 km deep · 24 km away
  8. 1.6Northern California · 16477 days ago · 13 km deep · 46 km away
  9. 1.79 km NE of San Martin, California · 16478 days ago · 8 km deep · 47 km away
  10. 1.77 km E of Fairfield, California · 16478 days ago · 5 km deep · 81 km away
  11. 1.76 km E of Suisun, California · 16478 days ago · 5 km deep · 80 km away
  12. 1.610 km E of Gilroy, California · 16478 days ago · 5 km deep · 66 km away
  13. 2.710 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16478 days ago · 8 km deep · 21 km away
  14. 1.97 km N of Hollister, California · 16479 days ago · 8 km deep · 77 km away
  15. 1.97 km N of Hollister, California · 16479 days ago · 7 km deep · 77 km away
  16. 1.55 km SSW of Gilroy, California · 16480 days ago · 7 km deep · 65 km away
  17. 1.99 km WSW of Brentwood, California · 16481 days ago · 16 km deep · 42 km away
  18. 1.87 km E of East Foothills, California · 16481 days ago · 7 km deep · 17 km away
  19. 2.07 km E of East Foothills, California · 16481 days ago · 7 km deep · 17 km away
  20. 1.66 km SW of Moraga, California · 16481 days ago · 10 km deep · 45 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1066821. Read Wed, Sep 23, 2026, 8:02 AM UTC.