California earthquakes

M2.3 earthquake 38 km W of Three Rocks, California

A magnitude 2.3 earthquake struck 38 km W of Three Rocks, California on Sat, May 30, 1981, 11:02 PM PDT (06:02 UTC), 7 km (4 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M2.7 17 km NNW of San Simeon, California. 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
2.3 (md), micro
Local time
UTC
1981-05-31 06:02:20 UTC
Depth
6.5 km (4.1 mi), shallow
Epicenter
36.547° N, 120.819° 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, 1.0 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.11
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
117°
Stations used
46

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 138 in the 60 days after this one and 47 in the 30 days before it.

After

The first 60 of 138.

Before

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1064160. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 5:16 PM UTC.