California earthquakes

M1.7 earthquake 12 km NW of Big Sur, California

A magnitude 1.7 earthquake struck 12 km NW of Big Sur, California on Wed, Sep 4, 1985, 12:30 AM PDT (07:30 UTC), 14 km (8 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M2.1 22 km SW of Volta, California. This one was a foreshock.

Big Sur 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
1.7 (md), micro
Local time
UTC
1985-09-04 07:30:34 UTC
Depth
13.6 km (8.5 mi), shallow
Epicenter
36.365° N, 121.892° 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 1.9 km horizontally, 0.8 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.21
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
238°, poorly surrounded by stations
Stations used
8

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 83 in the 60 days after this one and 55 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 2.122 km SW of Volta, California · 14993 days ago · 1 km deep · 96 km away
  2. 1.624 km NE of Greenfield, California · 14993 days ago · 5 km deep · 77 km away
  3. 1.524 km NE of Greenfield, California · 14992 days ago · 5 km deep · 76 km away
  4. 2.324 km NE of Soledad, California · 14991 days ago · 8 km deep · 73 km away
  5. 1.86 km ENE of Hollister, California · 14990 days ago · 8 km deep · 76 km away
  6. 1.89 km ESE of Seven Trees, California · 14989 days ago · 5 km deep · 98 km away
  7. 3.29 km NNW of Hollister, California · 14988 days ago · 3 km deep · 75 km away
  8. 2.923 km ENE of Soledad, California · 14987 days ago · 2 km deep · 74 km away
  9. 2.523 km ENE of Soledad, California · 14987 days ago · 2 km deep · 73 km away
  10. 1.924 km NE of King City, California · 14987 days ago · 4 km deep · 83 km away
  11. 2.09 km NE of Gilroy, California · 14987 days ago · 8 km deep · 85 km away
  12. 1.524 km NE of Greenfield, California · 14986 days ago · 2 km deep · 77 km away
  13. 1.718 km SE of Tres Pinos, California · 14985 days ago · 9 km deep · 73 km away
  14. 2.218 km SE of Tres Pinos, California · 14985 days ago · 10 km deep · 72 km away
  15. 1.65 km NE of San Ardo, California · 14984 days ago · 8 km deep · 98 km away
  16. 1.79 km NE of Gilroy, California · 14983 days ago · 8 km deep · 85 km away
  17. 2.08 km S of Davenport, California · 14982 days ago · 5 km deep · 69 km away
  18. 1.614 km NW of San Simeon, California · 14980 days ago · 12 km deep · 87 km away
  19. 1.69 km NNW of Hollister, California · 14979 days ago · 5 km deep · 76 km away
  20. 1.69 km NNE of Morgan Hill, California · 14978 days ago · 4 km deep · 97 km away
  21. 1.620 km SSW of Pescadero, California · 14978 days ago · 2 km deep · 98 km away
  22. 1.923 km ENE of Soledad, California · 14977 days ago · 5 km deep · 74 km away
  23. 1.59 km NNE of San Juan Bautista, California · 14977 days ago · 4 km deep · 72 km away
  24. 1.623 km ENE of Soledad, California · 14977 days ago · 4 km deep · 74 km away
  25. 2.58 km NE of San Martin, California · 14977 days ago · 7 km deep · 91 km away
  26. 1.65 km SSE of San Juan Bautista, California · 14976 days ago · 7 km deep · 59 km away
  27. 1.56 km ENE of Hollister, California · 14974 days ago · 7 km deep · 76 km away
  28. 2.310 km N of Hollister, California · 14971 days ago · 9 km deep · 77 km away
  29. 1.723 km ENE of Soledad, California · 14971 days ago · 8 km deep · 73 km away
  30. 2.07 km NNE of Interlaken, California · 14968 days ago · 7 km deep · 74 km away
  31. 2.622 km NNE of Soledad, California · 14968 days ago · 6 km deep · 67 km away
  32. 3.222 km NNE of Soledad, California · 14968 days ago · 7 km deep · 67 km away
  33. 1.622 km NNE of Soledad, California · 14968 days ago · 6 km deep · 67 km away
  34. 1.922 km NNE of Soledad, California · 14968 days ago · 6 km deep · 67 km away
  35. 2.311 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 14967 days ago · 4 km deep · 65 km away
  36. 1.822 km NNE of Soledad, California · 14967 days ago · 6 km deep · 67 km away
  37. 1.511 km ENE of Big Sur, California · 14966 days ago · 8 km deep · 19 km away
  38. 1.831 km WSW of Davenport, California · 14966 days ago · 3 km deep · 77 km away
  39. 2.38 km NE of San Juan Bautista, California · 14965 days ago · 5 km deep · 70 km away
  40. 1.924 km NE of Greenfield, California · 14965 days ago · 4 km deep · 77 km away
  41. 1.723 km ENE of Soledad, California · 14965 days ago · 4 km deep · 74 km away
  42. 1.68 km NE of San Martin, California · 14964 days ago · 6 km deep · 91 km away
  43. 1.524 km NE of Greenfield, California · 14963 days ago · 4 km deep · 77 km away
  44. 2.0Central California · 14963 days ago · 2 km deep · 73 km away
  45. 2.224 km NE of Greenfield, California · 14962 days ago · 6 km deep · 77 km away
  46. 3.07 km N of Interlaken, California · 14962 days ago · 8 km deep · 75 km away
  47. 2.321 km NE of Soledad, California · 14962 days ago · 6 km deep · 68 km away
  48. 1.68 km NNE of Interlaken, California · 14962 days ago · 8 km deep · 75 km away
  49. 2.223 km ENE of Soledad, California · 14961 days ago · 2 km deep · 73 km away
  50. 2.12 km SSW of San Juan Bautista, California · 14961 days ago · 6 km deep · 60 km away
  51. 1.62 km ENE of Carmel Valley Village, California · 14961 days ago · 8 km deep · 21 km away
  52. 2.523 km NE of San Lucas, California · 14960 days ago · 10 km deep · 94 km away
  53. 1.911 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 14960 days ago · 4 km deep · 65 km away
  54. 1.914 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 14960 days ago · 7 km deep · 63 km away
  55. 2.89 km NE of Gilroy, California · 14960 days ago · 9 km deep · 85 km away
  56. 1.88 km ENE of Morgan Hill, California · 14957 days ago · 2 km deep · 93 km away
  57. 1.77 km NNE of San Martin, California · 14956 days ago · 4 km deep · 91 km away
  58. 1.615 km WNW of Davenport, California · 14956 days ago · 6 km deep · 87 km away
  59. 1.919 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 14954 days ago · 5 km deep · 66 km away
  60. 2.024 km NE of Greenfield, California · 14953 days ago · 7 km deep · 77 km away

The first 60 of 83.

Before

  1. 2.08 km ENE of Gilroy, California · 14994 days ago · 8 km deep · 84 km away
  2. 2.010 km NNW of Hollister, California · 14996 days ago · 0 km deep · 76 km away
  3. 1.622 km NE of Soledad, California · 14996 days ago · 5 km deep · 70 km away
  4. 1.724 km NE of King City, California · 14997 days ago · 1 km deep · 84 km away
  5. 1.824 km ENE of Soledad, California · 14997 days ago · 3 km deep · 75 km away
  6. 1.823 km NE of King City, California · 14998 days ago · 3 km deep · 86 km away
  7. 1.828 km W of Lockwood, California · 14998 days ago · -1 km deep · 65 km away
  8. 2.023 km ENE of Soledad, California · 14999 days ago · 4 km deep · 74 km away
  9. 1.77 km ENE of Interlaken, California · 14999 days ago · 3 km deep · 72 km away
  10. 2.023 km NE of Greenfield, California · 14999 days ago · 5 km deep · 77 km away
  11. 1.617 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 15001 days ago · 6 km deep · 67 km away
  12. 1.621 km NE of Soledad, California · 15002 days ago · 2 km deep · 68 km away
  13. 1.523 km ENE of San Lucas, California · 15002 days ago · 4 km deep · 100 km away
  14. 1.824 km NE of Greenfield, California · 15003 days ago · 5 km deep · 77 km away
  15. 2.222 km NE of Soledad, California · 15003 days ago · 2 km deep · 71 km away
  16. 1.622 km ENE of Soledad, California · 15003 days ago · 5 km deep · 73 km away
  17. 2.55 km SW of Gilroy, California · 15004 days ago · 4 km deep · 72 km away
  18. 2.410 km ESE of Gilroy, California · 15005 days ago · 4 km deep · 77 km away
  19. 1.99 km NE of Greenfield, California · 15005 days ago · 14 km deep · 64 km away
  20. 2.62 km W of San Juan Bautista, California · 15005 days ago · 4 km deep · 61 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc54516. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 10:20 PM UTC.