California earthquakes

M1.6 earthquake 8 km NNE of Avenal, California

A magnitude 1.6 earthquake struck 8 km NNE of Avenal, California on Wed, Nov 20, 1985, 8:31 AM PST (16:31 UTC), 8 km (5 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M4.5 2 km ENE of San Ardo, 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
1.6 (md), micro
Local time
UTC
1985-11-20 16:31:27 UTC
Depth
8.0 km (4.9 mi), shallow
Epicenter
36.076° N, 120.085° 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 2.8 km horizontally, 1.1 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.07
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
252°, poorly surrounded by stations
Stations used
12

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 116 in the 60 days after this one and 78 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 1.67 km NNW of Avenal, California · 14922 days ago · 12 km deep · 6 km away
  2. 2.011 km NW of Kettleman City, California · 14922 days ago · 7 km deep · 4 km away
  3. 1.813 km SSW of Kettleman City, California · 14922 days ago · 13 km deep · 19 km away
  4. 1.58 km N of Avenal, California · 14922 days ago · 13 km deep · 6 km away
  5. 2.27 km SE of Avenal, California · 14921 days ago · 9 km deep · 13 km away
  6. 2.08 km SSE of Huron, California · 14920 days ago · 7 km deep · 7 km away
  7. 1.78 km ENE of Coalinga, California · 14919 days ago · 9 km deep · 19 km away
  8. 3.214 km NNE of Coalinga, California · 14919 days ago · 9 km deep · 29 km away
  9. 4.52 km ENE of San Ardo, California · 14919 days ago · 15 km deep · 71 km away
  10. 1.92 km E of San Ardo, California · 14919 days ago · 11 km deep · 72 km away
  11. 1.72 km E of San Ardo, California · 14919 days ago · 10 km deep · 72 km away
  12. 2.12 km ENE of San Ardo, California · 14919 days ago · 11 km deep · 72 km away
  13. 3.02 km ENE of San Ardo, California · 14919 days ago · 14 km deep · 71 km away
  14. 2.32 km ENE of San Ardo, California · 14918 days ago · 11 km deep · 72 km away
  15. 1.92 km NE of San Ardo, California · 14918 days ago · 11 km deep · 72 km away
  16. 2.810 km ENE of Coalinga, California · 14918 days ago · 8 km deep · 20 km away
  17. 2.110 km NE of Coalinga, California · 14918 days ago · 8 km deep · 21 km away
  18. 1.720 km NNW of Coalinga, California · 14918 days ago · 11 km deep · 40 km away
  19. 1.627 km W of Three Rocks, California · 14917 days ago · 10 km deep · 74 km away
  20. 2.311 km NNE of Coalinga, California · 14917 days ago · 9 km deep · 28 km away
  21. 1.510 km N of Coalinga, California · 14917 days ago · 9 km deep · 30 km away
  22. 1.82 km ENE of San Ardo, California · 14917 days ago · 11 km deep · 72 km away
  23. 3.024 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 14916 days ago · 7 km deep · 90 km away
  24. 1.625 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 14916 days ago · 6 km deep · 90 km away
  25. 2.010 km NNE of Coalinga, California · 14916 days ago · 9 km deep · 28 km away
  26. 1.79 km ESE of Parkfield, California · 14916 days ago · 9 km deep · 31 km away
  27. 1.57 km NE of Coalinga, California · 14915 days ago · 11 km deep · 23 km away
  28. 1.95 km ENE of Avenal, California · 14915 days ago · 10 km deep · 5 km away
  29. 2.716 km S of Cantua Creek, California · 14914 days ago · 4 km deep · 38 km away
  30. 2.39 km SW of Huron, CA · 14914 days ago · 6 km deep · 12 km away
  31. 2.86 km S of Huron, California · 14913 days ago · 5 km deep · 7 km away
  32. 1.98 km S of Huron, California · 14913 days ago · 8 km deep · 6 km away
  33. 2.03 km SE of Avenal, California · 14912 days ago · 7 km deep · 11 km away
  34. 2.88 km SE of Avenal, California · 14912 days ago · 9 km deep · 14 km away
  35. 1.611 km SSW of Huron, California · 14910 days ago · 7 km deep · 7 km away
  36. 1.924 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 14909 days ago · 5 km deep · 89 km away
  37. 1.925 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 14908 days ago · 2 km deep · 91 km away
  38. 1.63 km ENE of San Ardo, California · 14908 days ago · 11 km deep · 71 km away
  39. 1.611 km SE of Kettleman City, California · 14908 days ago · 4 km deep · 25 km away
  40. 2.39km N of Simmler, CA · 14906 days ago · 8 km deep · 72 km away
  41. 2.06 km N of Coalinga, California · 14906 days ago · 12 km deep · 28 km away
  42. 2.26 km N of Coalinga, California · 14906 days ago · 12 km deep · 29 km away
  43. 3.012 km NNE of Coalinga, California · 14906 days ago · 19 km deep · 26 km away
  44. 1.612 km NNE of Coalinga, California · 14906 days ago · 6 km deep · 25 km away
  45. 1.723 km NE of King City, California · 14906 days ago · 3 km deep · 82 km away
  46. 2.515 km NNW of Coalinga, California · 14905 days ago · 5 km deep · 38 km away
  47. 1.65 km N of Avenal, California · 14905 days ago · 6 km deep · 4 km away
  48. 1.611 km SW of Huron, California · 14903 days ago · 6 km deep · 13 km away
  49. 2.311 km N of Coalinga, California · 14903 days ago · 10 km deep · 31 km away
  50. 1.524 km NE of Greenfield, California · 14902 days ago · 5 km deep · 96 km away
  51. 1.824 km NE of Greenfield, California · 14900 days ago · 5 km deep · 95 km away
  52. 1.911 km S of Huron, California · 14900 days ago · 7 km deep · 3 km away
  53. 2.113km NNW of Simmler, CA · 14899 days ago · 4 km deep · 68 km away
  54. 1.715 km NW of Parkfield, California · 14899 days ago · 4 km deep · 43 km away
  55. 3.025 km ENE of San Ardo, California · 14899 days ago · 5 km deep · 49 km away
  56. 1.915 km NW of Parkfield, California · 14899 days ago · 5 km deep · 43 km away
  57. 1.713 km N of Coalinga, California · 14898 days ago · 9 km deep · 31 km away
  58. 1.815 km NW of Parkfield, California · 14898 days ago · 5 km deep · 43 km away
  59. 1.96 km N of Waukena, California · 14897 days ago · 30 km deep · 54 km away
  60. 2.32 km ESE of San Ardo, California · 14896 days ago · 10 km deep · 71 km away

The first 60 of 116.

Before

  1. 2.726 km SSW of South Dos Palos, California · 14924 days ago · -1 km deep · 95 km away
  2. 2.523 km SSW of South Dos Palos, California · 14924 days ago · -1 km deep · 96 km away
  3. 2.25 km ENE of Avenal, California · 14924 days ago · 10 km deep · 6 km away
  4. 2.110 km NNE of Avenal, California · 14925 days ago · 7 km deep · 2 km away
  5. 1.524 km ENE of San Ardo, California · 14925 days ago · 7 km deep · 51 km away
  6. 1.622 km NE of San Ardo, California · 14926 days ago · 1 km deep · 62 km away
  7. 1.716 km NNW of Coalinga, California · 14926 days ago · 9 km deep · 36 km away
  8. 3.08 km E of Coalinga, California · 14927 days ago · 8 km deep · 18 km away
  9. 1.812 km SW of Huron, California · 14929 days ago · 8 km deep · 11 km away
  10. 1.97 km NE of Avenal, California · 14930 days ago · 13 km deep · 2 km away
  11. 1.62 km NW of Avenal, California · 14930 days ago · 14 km deep · 9 km away
  12. 1.510 km WSW of Huron, California · 14930 days ago · 10 km deep · 14 km away
  13. 1.613 km SW of Huron, California · 14931 days ago · 8 km deep · 11 km away
  14. 3.212 km SW of Huron, California · 14931 days ago · 8 km deep · 11 km away
  15. 1.68 km NE of Avenal, California · 14931 days ago · 13 km deep · 2 km away
  16. 2.09 km SE of Huron, California · 14932 days ago · 8 km deep · 10 km away
  17. 1.614 km NNE of Coalinga, California · 14933 days ago · 3 km deep · 30 km away
  18. 1.76 km NE of Avenal, California · 14934 days ago · 11 km deep · 4 km away
  19. 1.68 km NW of Kettleman City, California · 14934 days ago · 13 km deep · 5 km away
  20. 1.623 km NE of San Lucas, California · 14934 days ago · 7 km deep · 68 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc59526. Read Tue, Sep 29, 2026, 3:21 PM UTC.