California earthquakes

M1.8 earthquake 22km SSW of Tecopa, CA

A magnitude 1.8 earthquake struck 22km SSW of Tecopa, CA on Tue, Dec 8, 1981, 12:25 AM PST (08:25 UTC), 5 km (3 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M2.4 15km NNW of Ludlow, CA. This one was a foreshock.

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Map

Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

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The earthquake

Magnitude
1.8 (mh), micro
Local time
UTC
1981-12-08 08:25:11 UTC
Depth
5.1 km (3.2 mi), shallow
Epicenter
35.655° N, 116.298° 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 1.6 km horizontally, 31.6 km in depth
Depth from
Operator assigned
Station coverage gap
276°, poorly surrounded by stations
Stations used
6

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 10 in the 60 days after this one and 7 in the 30 days before it.

After

Before

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event ci102773. Read Sat, Sep 26, 2026, 7:31 PM UTC.