California earthquakes

M1.8 earthquake 3 km WSW of Markleeville, California

A magnitude 1.8 earthquake struck 3 km WSW of Markleeville, California on Sat, May 18, 1985, 9:05 PM PDT (04:05 UTC), -1 km (-1 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M2.1 11 km W of Bridgeport, California. This one was a foreshock.

Gardnerville Ranchos forecast More in California

Map

Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

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The earthquake

Magnitude: 1.8 (md), micro
Local time: Sat, May 18, 1985, 9:05 PM PDT
UTC: 1985-05-19 04:05:46 UTC
Depth: -1.4 km (-0.9 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 38.685° N, 119.819° W
Region: California
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 0.5 km horizontally, 5.7 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty: ±0.39
Depth from: From location
Station coverage gap: 82°
Stations used: 20

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 15 in the 60 days after this one and 14 in the 30 days before it.

After

Before

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc48021. Read Wed, Sep 23, 2026, 12:49 AM UTC.