California earthquakes

M1.5 earthquake 8 km N of Avenal, California

A magnitude 1.5 earthquake struck 8 km N of Avenal, California on Thu, Nov 21, 1985, 7:39 AM PST (15:39 UTC), 13 km (8 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M2.2 7 km SE of Avenal, 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
1.5 (md), micro
Local time
UTC
1985-11-21 15:39:40 UTC
Depth
12.7 km (7.9 mi), shallow
Epicenter
36.081° N, 120.146° 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 1.5 km horizontally, 1.6 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.12
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
158°
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: 141 in the 60 days after this one and 53 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 2.27 km SE of Avenal, California · 14914 days ago · 9 km deep · 16 km away
  2. 2.534 km SW of South Dos Palos, California · 14914 days ago · 0 km deep · 99 km away
  3. 2.08 km SSE of Huron, California · 14913 days ago · 7 km deep · 9 km away
  4. 1.78 km ENE of Coalinga, California · 14913 days ago · 9 km deep · 14 km away
  5. 1.69 km N of Cambria, California · 14913 days ago · 4 km deep · 96 km away
  6. 3.214 km NNE of Coalinga, California · 14912 days ago · 9 km deep · 25 km away
  7. 4.52 km ENE of San Ardo, California · 14912 days ago · 15 km deep · 66 km away
  8. 1.92 km E of San Ardo, California · 14912 days ago · 11 km deep · 67 km away
  9. 1.72 km E of San Ardo, California · 14912 days ago · 10 km deep · 66 km away
  10. 2.12 km ENE of San Ardo, California · 14912 days ago · 11 km deep · 66 km away
  11. 3.02 km ENE of San Ardo, California · 14912 days ago · 14 km deep · 66 km away
  12. 2.32 km ENE of San Ardo, California · 14912 days ago · 11 km deep · 66 km away
  13. 1.92 km NE of San Ardo, California · 14912 days ago · 11 km deep · 66 km away
  14. 2.810 km ENE of Coalinga, California · 14912 days ago · 8 km deep · 16 km away
  15. 2.110 km NE of Coalinga, California · 14912 days ago · 8 km deep · 17 km away
  16. 1.720 km NNW of Coalinga, California · 14911 days ago · 11 km deep · 36 km away
  17. 1.627 km W of Three Rocks, California · 14911 days ago · 10 km deep · 69 km away
  18. 2.311 km NNE of Coalinga, California · 14911 days ago · 9 km deep · 24 km away
  19. 1.510 km N of Coalinga, California · 14910 days ago · 9 km deep · 25 km away
  20. 1.82 km ENE of San Ardo, California · 14910 days ago · 11 km deep · 66 km away
  21. 3.024 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 14909 days ago · 7 km deep · 84 km away
  22. 1.625 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 14909 days ago · 6 km deep · 84 km away
  23. 2.010 km NNE of Coalinga, California · 14909 days ago · 9 km deep · 23 km away
  24. 1.79 km ESE of Parkfield, California · 14909 days ago · 9 km deep · 28 km away
  25. 1.57 km NE of Coalinga, California · 14909 days ago · 11 km deep · 18 km away
  26. 1.95 km ENE of Avenal, California · 14909 days ago · 10 km deep · 9 km away
  27. 4.631 km NE of Soledad, California · 14908 days ago · 10 km deep · 97 km away
  28. 1.930 km ENE of Soledad, California · 14908 days ago · 7 km deep · 96 km away
  29. 1.931 km ENE of Soledad, California · 14908 days ago · 7 km deep · 96 km away
  30. 2.031 km ENE of Soledad, California · 14907 days ago · 7 km deep · 96 km away
  31. 2.716 km S of Cantua Creek, California · 14907 days ago · 4 km deep · 35 km away
  32. 1.731 km ENE of Soledad, California · 14907 days ago · 7 km deep · 96 km away
  33. 1.630 km NE of Soledad, California · 14907 days ago · 7 km deep · 98 km away
  34. 1.630 km ENE of Soledad, California · 14907 days ago · 7 km deep · 96 km away
  35. 2.39 km SW of Huron, CA · 14907 days ago · 6 km deep · 8 km away
  36. 1.831 km ENE of Soledad, California · 14907 days ago · 7 km deep · 96 km away
  37. 2.231 km ENE of Soledad, California · 14907 days ago · 7 km deep · 97 km away
  38. 3.031 km ENE of Soledad, California · 14907 days ago · 8 km deep · 96 km away
  39. 1.731 km ENE of Soledad, California · 14907 days ago · 8 km deep · 96 km away
  40. 2.831 km ENE of Soledad, California · 14907 days ago · 8 km deep · 96 km away
  41. 2.86 km S of Huron, California · 14906 days ago · 5 km deep · 8 km away
  42. 1.98 km S of Huron, California · 14906 days ago · 8 km deep · 7 km away
  43. 1.631 km ENE of Soledad, California · 14906 days ago · 7 km deep · 96 km away
  44. 1.831 km ENE of Soledad, California · 14906 days ago · 8 km deep · 96 km away
  45. 2.230 km ENE of Soledad, California · 14906 days ago · 8 km deep · 97 km away
  46. 2.227 km ENE of Soledad, California · 14906 days ago · 6 km deep · 98 km away
  47. 1.627 km ENE of Soledad, California · 14906 days ago · 6 km deep · 98 km away
  48. 2.927 km ENE of Soledad, California · 14906 days ago · 6 km deep · 98 km away
  49. 2.03 km SE of Avenal, California · 14905 days ago · 7 km deep · 12 km away
  50. 2.88 km SE of Avenal, California · 14905 days ago · 9 km deep · 16 km away
  51. 1.611 km SSW of Huron, California · 14904 days ago · 7 km deep · 3 km away
  52. 1.924 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 14902 days ago · 5 km deep · 84 km away
  53. 1.925 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 14902 days ago · 2 km deep · 86 km away
  54. 1.63 km ENE of San Ardo, California · 14902 days ago · 11 km deep · 66 km away
  55. 1.611 km SE of Kettleman City, California · 14901 days ago · 4 km deep · 30 km away
  56. 2.39km N of Simmler, CA · 14900 days ago · 8 km deep · 74 km away
  57. 2.06 km N of Coalinga, California · 14899 days ago · 12 km deep · 23 km away
  58. 2.26 km N of Coalinga, California · 14899 days ago · 12 km deep · 24 km away
  59. 3.012 km NNE of Coalinga, California · 14899 days ago · 19 km deep · 22 km away
  60. 1.612 km NNE of Coalinga, California · 14899 days ago · 6 km deep · 21 km away

The first 60 of 141.

Before

  1. 1.813 km SSW of Kettleman City, California · 14915 days ago · 13 km deep · 22 km away
  2. 2.011 km NW of Kettleman City, California · 14916 days ago · 7 km deep · 9 km away
  3. 1.67 km NNW of Avenal, California · 14916 days ago · 12 km deep · 2 km away
  4. 1.68 km NNE of Avenal, California · 14916 days ago · 8 km deep · 6 km away
  5. 2.726 km SSW of South Dos Palos, California · 14917 days ago · -1 km deep · 91 km away
  6. 2.523 km SSW of South Dos Palos, California · 14917 days ago · -1 km deep · 93 km away
  7. 2.25 km ENE of Avenal, California · 14918 days ago · 10 km deep · 10 km away
  8. 2.110 km NNE of Avenal, California · 14918 days ago · 7 km deep · 5 km away
  9. 1.524 km ENE of San Ardo, California · 14918 days ago · 7 km deep · 46 km away
  10. 1.622 km NE of San Ardo, California · 14919 days ago · 1 km deep · 56 km away
  11. 1.716 km NNW of Coalinga, California · 14920 days ago · 9 km deep · 32 km away
  12. 3.08 km E of Coalinga, California · 14920 days ago · 8 km deep · 13 km away
  13. 1.812 km SW of Huron, California · 14923 days ago · 8 km deep · 7 km away
  14. 1.97 km NE of Avenal, California · 14923 days ago · 13 km deep · 7 km away
  15. 1.62 km NW of Avenal, California · 14923 days ago · 14 km deep · 7 km away
  16. 1.510 km WSW of Huron, California · 14924 days ago · 10 km deep · 10 km away
  17. 1.613 km SW of Huron, California · 14924 days ago · 8 km deep · 6 km away
  18. 3.212 km SW of Huron, California · 14924 days ago · 8 km deep · 6 km away
  19. 1.68 km NE of Avenal, California · 14925 days ago · 13 km deep · 7 km away
  20. 2.09 km SE of Huron, California · 14925 days ago · 8 km deep · 13 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc59597. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 9:38 PM UTC.