California earthquakes

M2.4 earthquake 3 km N of Avenal, California

A magnitude 2.4 earthquake struck 3 km N of Avenal, California on Sun, Aug 4, 1985, 12:32 PM PDT (19:32 UTC), 7 km (4 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M4.3 Central California. This one was a foreshock.

Avenal 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
2.4 (Md, duration), micro
Magnitude from
Northern California Seismic System
Local time
UTC
1985-08-04 19:32:51 UTC
Depth
7.0 km (4.4 mi), shallow
Epicenter
36.035° N, 120.122° W
Tsunami flag
No
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

Magnitude estimates

Different scales measure different things and differ by a few tenths. The USGS marks one as preferred, and it is the one this page uses.

Mag.ScaleComputed byNotes
2.4Md, durationNorthern California Seismic SystemPreferred · Final · ±0.14 · 11 stations
2.68McSouthern California Seismic NetworkFinal · 16 stations

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
±0.14
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
177°
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: at least 199 in the 60 days after this one and 179 in the 30 days before it.

After

The first 60 of at least 199.

Before

Earthquakes todayCalifornia earthquakesLive radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc54298 (also filed as ci108476). Read Thu, Oct 1, 2026, 4:26 PM UTC.