California earthquakes

M1.9 earthquake 2 km WNW of Avenal, California

A magnitude 1.9 earthquake struck 2 km WNW of Avenal, California on Mon, Aug 19, 1985, 1:25 PM PDT (20:25 UTC), 14 km (9 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M2.0 7 km ENE of Avenal, 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
1.9 (md), micro
Local time
UTC
1985-08-19 20:25:36 UTC
Depth
14.2 km (8.8 mi), shallow
Epicenter
36.014° N, 120.149° 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 0.6 km horizontally, 1.0 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.17
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
155°
Stations used
18

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 197 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.

After

The first 60 of 197.

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc53260. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 3:35 PM UTC.