California earthquakes

M2.9 earthquake 16 km SW of Volta, California

A magnitude 2.9 earthquake struck 16 km SW of Volta, California on Wed, May 20, 1981, 11:37 AM PDT (18:37 UTC), 3 km (2 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M4.3 4 km SW of Tres Pinos, 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
2.9 (md), micro
Local time
UTC
1981-05-20 18:37:52 UTC
Depth
2.7 km (1.7 mi), shallow
Epicenter
36.983° N, 121.049° 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, 1.6 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.17
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
92°
Stations used
69

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 152 in the 60 days after this one and 36 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 1.624 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16561 days ago · 3 km deep · 57 km away
  2. 2.031 km WNW of Three Rocks, California · 16560 days ago · 10 km deep · 54 km away
  3. 2.12 km ESE of Aromas, California · 16559 days ago · 8 km deep · 52 km away
  4. 1.81 km ESE of Aromas, California · 16558 days ago · 8 km deep · 52 km away
  5. 2.59 km NE of Gilroy, California · 16558 days ago · 9 km deep · 41 km away
  6. 2.55 km SW of Gilroy, California · 16558 days ago · 8 km deep · 49 km away
  7. 1.924 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16558 days ago · 6 km deep · 62 km away
  8. 1.59 km SSW of Tres Pinos, California · 16557 days ago · 3 km deep · 41 km away
  9. 1.815 km SE of Livermore, California · 16556 days ago · 2 km deep · 85 km away
  10. 2.621 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16556 days ago · 6 km deep · 44 km away
  11. 1.820 km ESE of Tres Pinos, California · 16556 days ago · 6 km deep · 29 km away
  12. 2.78 km NNE of East Foothills, California · 16555 days ago · 7 km deep · 83 km away
  13. 1.79 km NE of Gilroy, California · 16555 days ago · 8 km deep · 40 km away
  14. 1.99 km ENE of Gilroy, California · 16555 days ago · 8 km deep · 38 km away
  15. 2.26 km ENE of East Foothills, California · 16555 days ago · 9 km deep · 77 km away
  16. 1.66 km ENE of East Foothills, California · 16555 days ago · 9 km deep · 77 km away
  17. 2.46 km NE of East Foothills, California · 16554 days ago · 7 km deep · 79 km away
  18. 2.45 km S of Gilroy, California · 16554 days ago · 7 km deep · 46 km away
  19. 2.39 km NNW of Hollister, California · 16554 days ago · 4 km deep · 34 km away
  20. 2.05 km SW of Ridgemark, California · 16554 days ago · 10 km deep · 40 km away
  21. 1.85 km SW of Ridgemark, California · 16554 days ago · 10 km deep · 40 km away
  22. 2.36 km SW of Ridgemark, California · 16554 days ago · 8 km deep · 40 km away
  23. 2.35 km SW of Ridgemark, California · 16554 days ago · 10 km deep · 40 km away
  24. 2.132 km NW of Coalinga, California · 16552 days ago · 14 km deep · 84 km away
  25. 2.121 km NE of Soledad, California · 16552 days ago · 2 km deep · 49 km away
  26. 1.624 km NE of King City, California · 16551 days ago · 5 km deep · 69 km away
  27. 1.622 km ENE of San Lucas, California · 16551 days ago · 9 km deep · 86 km away
  28. 2.338 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16551 days ago · 7 km deep · 53 km away
  29. 1.611 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16551 days ago · 7 km deep · 70 km away
  30. 1.816 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16551 days ago · 9 km deep · 42 km away
  31. 1.55 km E of Fremont, California · 16550 days ago · 8 km deep · 100 km away
  32. 1.63 km NE of Day Valley, California · 16549 days ago · 3 km deep · 70 km away
  33. 1.95 km SE of Aromas, California · 16549 days ago · 6 km deep · 50 km away
  34. 1.823 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16549 days ago · 5 km deep · 58 km away
  35. 1.626 km NE of Soledad, California · 16549 days ago · 12 km deep · 46 km away
  36. 2.315 km SE of Livermore, California · 16547 days ago · 2 km deep · 85 km away
  37. 2.77 km WSW of Gilroy, California · 16547 days ago · 5 km deep · 53 km away
  38. 2.47 km WSW of Gilroy, California · 16547 days ago · 5 km deep · 53 km away
  39. 1.716 km SE of Livermore, California · 16547 days ago · 2 km deep · 84 km away
  40. 1.724 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 16547 days ago · 5 km deep · 61 km away
  41. 1.79 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16546 days ago · 7 km deep · 72 km away
  42. 2.19 km S of Sunol, California · 16546 days ago · 7 km deep · 93 km away
  43. 1.77 km WSW of Gilroy, California · 16545 days ago · 5 km deep · 53 km away
  44. 1.69 km NNE of Hollister, California · 16544 days ago · 7 km deep · 30 km away
  45. 1.922 km NE of East Foothills, California · 16544 days ago · 5 km deep · 76 km away
  46. 2.416 km ENE of Gonzales, California · 16543 days ago · 12 km deep · 50 km away
  47. 4.34 km SW of Tres Pinos, California · 16543 days ago · 10 km deep · 37 km away
  48. 2.221 km ESE of Tres Pinos, California · 16543 days ago · 5 km deep · 33 km away
  49. 2.315 km E of Seven Trees, California · 16542 days ago · 7 km deep · 64 km away
  50. 2.022 km NE of Soledad, California · 16542 days ago · 3 km deep · 50 km away
  51. 1.530 km WNW of Three Rocks, California · 16541 days ago · 4 km deep · 55 km away
  52. 1.929 km WNW of Three Rocks, California · 16541 days ago · 10 km deep · 53 km away
  53. 1.525 km NE of Soledad, California · 16540 days ago · 8 km deep · 47 km away
  54. 2.723 km NE of San Lucas, California · 16540 days ago · 10 km deep · 79 km away
  55. 2.53 km ESE of Aromas, California · 16539 days ago · 6 km deep · 51 km away
  56. 2.4Central California · 16537 days ago · 6 km deep · 47 km away
  57. 3.22 km ESE of Aromas, California · 16537 days ago · 6 km deep · 51 km away
  58. 3.02 km ESE of Aromas, California · 16537 days ago · 6 km deep · 52 km away
  59. 1.62 km ESE of Aromas, California · 16537 days ago · 5 km deep · 51 km away
  60. 1.58 km ENE of Day Valley, California · 16536 days ago · 9 km deep · 65 km away

The first 60 of 152.

Before

  1. 1.916 km SW of Volta, California · 16561 days ago · 6 km deep · 0 km away
  2. 1.516 km SW of Volta, California · 16561 days ago · 7 km deep · 0 km away
  3. 3.916 km SW of Volta, California · 16561 days ago · 4 km deep · 0 km away
  4. 2.011 km ESE of Gilroy, California · 16561 days ago · 5 km deep · 36 km away
  5. 1.511 km ESE of Gilroy, California · 16563 days ago · 5 km deep · 36 km away
  6. 1.815 km E of Seven Trees, California · 16563 days ago · 5 km deep · 65 km away
  7. 1.79 km NNW of Hollister, California · 16564 days ago · 7 km deep · 37 km away
  8. 3.011 km ESE of Gilroy, California · 16564 days ago · 6 km deep · 36 km away
  9. 2.222 km NE of Soledad, California · 16564 days ago · 4 km deep · 46 km away
  10. 1.614 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16565 days ago · 4 km deep · 41 km away
  11. 1.822 km ENE of Soledad, California · 16565 days ago · 3 km deep · 50 km away
  12. 1.914 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 16565 days ago · 4 km deep · 41 km away
  13. 1.725 km SW of Three Rocks, California · 16565 days ago · 14 km deep · 87 km away
  14. 2.110 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16565 days ago · 7 km deep · 71 km away
  15. 2.424 km NE of Greenfield, California · 16566 days ago · 8 km deep · 57 km away
  16. 1.913 km N of Morgan Hill, California · 16566 days ago · 3 km deep · 60 km away
  17. 1.55 km SSW of Tres Pinos, California · 16567 days ago · 8 km deep · 38 km away
  18. 1.85 km SSW of Tres Pinos, California · 16567 days ago · 8 km deep · 37 km away
  19. 2.29 km ENE of Gilroy, California · 16568 days ago · 9 km deep · 38 km away
  20. 1.611 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 16569 days ago · 7 km deep · 69 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1063836 (also filed as ci516332). Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 11:24 PM UTC.