California earthquakes

M1.8 earthquake 15 km NW of Parkfield, California

A magnitude 1.8 earthquake struck 15 km NW of Parkfield, California on Sun, Dec 15, 1985, 5:57 PM PST (01:57 UTC), 5 km (3 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M1.9 6 km N of Waukena, California. This one was a foreshock.

Coalinga 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
1.8 (md), micro
Local time
UTC
1985-12-16 01:57:56 UTC
Depth
4.5 km (2.8 mi), shallow
Epicenter
36.002° N, 120.554° 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 0.2 km horizontally, 0.3 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.16
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
65°
Stations used
34

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 169 in the 60 days after this one and 25 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 1.96 km N of Waukena, California · 14890 days ago · 30 km deep · 97 km away
  2. 2.32 km ESE of San Ardo, California · 14889 days ago · 10 km deep · 29 km away
  3. 1.617 km NW of Parkfield, California · 14889 days ago · 3 km deep · 2 km away
  4. 1.77 km NNE of Coalinga, California · 14889 days ago · 7 km deep · 30 km away
  5. 1.61 km ESE of San Ardo, California · 14888 days ago · 11 km deep · 30 km away
  6. 2.321 km NE of Soledad, California · 14888 days ago · 7 km deep · 86 km away
  7. 1.98 km NE of Coalinga, California · 14888 days ago · 10 km deep · 31 km away
  8. 2.1Central California · 14888 days ago · 18 km deep · 100 km away
  9. 1.921 km NE of Soledad, California · 14887 days ago · 7 km deep · 86 km away
  10. 1.67 km WNW of Kettleman City, California · 14886 days ago · 10 km deep · 46 km away
  11. 2.022 km NW of Parkfield, California · 14886 days ago · 6 km deep · 7 km away
  12. 1.621 km NE of Soledad, California · 14886 days ago · 3 km deep · 84 km away
  13. 1.812 km SSE of Huron, California · 14885 days ago · 7 km deep · 46 km away
  14. 1.839 km W of Three Rocks, California · 14885 days ago · 5 km deep · 66 km away
  15. 1.810 km NE of Coalinga, California · 14884 days ago · 9 km deep · 34 km away
  16. 2.16 km NW of Parkfield, California · 14884 days ago · 5 km deep · 10 km away
  17. 2.728 km ENE of Soledad, California · 14884 days ago · 9 km deep · 77 km away
  18. 3.011 km NE of Coalinga, California · 14883 days ago · 9 km deep · 35 km away
  19. 2.724 km NE of Greenfield, California · 14882 days ago · 1 km deep · 68 km away
  20. 1.75km SSW of Corcoran, CA · 14881 days ago · 5 km deep · 88 km away
  21. 1.99 km NNW of Coalinga, California · 14881 days ago · 7 km deep · 27 km away
  22. 1.916 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 14880 days ago · 8 km deep · 96 km away
  23. 2.29 km SE of Creston, California · 14880 days ago · 0 km deep · 61 km away
  24. 1.623 km ENE of San Lucas, California · 14880 days ago · 8 km deep · 31 km away
  25. 1.89 km E of Coalinga, California · 14879 days ago · 10 km deep · 31 km away
  26. 1.612 km SSW of Oak Shores, California · 14878 days ago · 5 km deep · 56 km away
  27. 1.59 km E of San Luis Obispo, California · 14878 days ago · 18 km deep · 79 km away
  28. 2.020 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 14877 days ago · 5 km deep · 91 km away
  29. 1.520 km WSW of Coalinga, California · 14877 days ago · 2 km deep · 9 km away
  30. 3.38km N of Simmler, CA · 14877 days ago · 9 km deep · 81 km away
  31. 2.221 km NE of Soledad, California · 14876 days ago · 6 km deep · 81 km away
  32. 2.06 km N of Coalinga, California · 14876 days ago · 9 km deep · 28 km away
  33. 1.622 km NE of San Lucas, California · 14875 days ago · 5 km deep · 43 km away
  34. 2.020km SW of Alpaugh, CA · 14874 days ago · 5 km deep · 90 km away
  35. 2.17 km W of Los Osos, California · 14874 days ago · 3 km deep · 84 km away
  36. 1.917 km NNW of Coalinga, California · 14874 days ago · 12 km deep · 33 km away
  37. 2.117 km NNW of Coalinga, California · 14874 days ago · 10 km deep · 32 km away
  38. 2.217 km NNW of Coalinga, California · 14873 days ago · 12 km deep · 32 km away
  39. 2.816 km NNW of Coalinga, California · 14873 days ago · 9 km deep · 34 km away
  40. 2.030 km ENE of Soledad, California · 14872 days ago · 7 km deep · 76 km away
  41. 2.324 km ENE of Soledad, California · 14871 days ago · 3 km deep · 72 km away
  42. 1.821 km NE of Soledad, California · 14870 days ago · 6 km deep · 79 km away
  43. 1.727 km NE of Soledad, California · 14870 days ago · 8 km deep · 78 km away
  44. 1.63 km WNW of Coalinga, California · 14869 days ago · 9 km deep · 22 km away
  45. 1.5Central California · 14868 days ago · 9 km deep · 33 km away
  46. 1.937 km NE of King City, California · 14867 days ago · 12 km deep · 56 km away
  47. 2.421 km NE of Soledad, California · 14867 days ago · 2 km deep · 82 km away
  48. 2.18 km S of Kettleman City, California · 14866 days ago · 9 km deep · 55 km away
  49. 1.811 km N of Coalinga, California · 14866 days ago · 8 km deep · 31 km away
  50. 1.61 km E of San Ardo, California · 14866 days ago · 10 km deep · 30 km away
  51. 1.81 km WSW of Coalinga, California · 14864 days ago · 12 km deep · 22 km away
  52. 1.917 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 14864 days ago · 5 km deep · 95 km away
  53. 1.624 km ENE of San Ardo, California · 14864 days ago · 3 km deep · 13 km away
  54. 1.720 km N of Coalinga, California · 14864 days ago · 11 km deep · 38 km away
  55. 2.822 km NE of Soledad, California · 14863 days ago · 3 km deep · 86 km away
  56. 2.029 km NE of Soledad, California · 14863 days ago · 5 km deep · 79 km away
  57. 1.910 km ENE of Coalinga, California · 14863 days ago · 11 km deep · 33 km away
  58. 1.710 km ENE of Coalinga, California · 14863 days ago · 11 km deep · 34 km away
  59. 2.230 km ENE of Soledad, California · 14863 days ago · 7 km deep · 76 km away
  60. 1.611 km S of Huron, California · 14863 days ago · 8 km deep · 43 km away

The first 60 of 169.

Before

  1. 2.121 km NE of Soledad, California · 14891 days ago · 5 km deep · 84 km away
  2. 1.713 km N of Coalinga, California · 14892 days ago · 9 km deep · 35 km away
  3. 1.823 km WSW of Lockwood, California · 14892 days ago · 4 km deep · 71 km away
  4. 1.915 km NW of Parkfield, California · 14892 days ago · 5 km deep · 1 km away
  5. 3.025 km ENE of San Ardo, California · 14892 days ago · 5 km deep · 11 km away
  6. 1.631 km NE of Soledad, California · 14892 days ago · 8 km deep · 78 km away
  7. 1.715 km NW of Parkfield, California · 14892 days ago · 4 km deep · 0 km away
  8. 2.113km NNW of Simmler, CA · 14893 days ago · 4 km deep · 76 km away
  9. 1.911 km S of Huron, California · 14893 days ago · 7 km deep · 43 km away
  10. 1.824 km NE of Greenfield, California · 14893 days ago · 5 km deep · 67 km away
  11. 1.524 km NE of Greenfield, California · 14896 days ago · 5 km deep · 68 km away
  12. 2.311 km N of Coalinga, California · 14896 days ago · 10 km deep · 32 km away
  13. 1.611 km SW of Huron, California · 14897 days ago · 6 km deep · 35 km away
  14. 1.617 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 14898 days ago · 6 km deep · 96 km away
  15. 1.65 km N of Avenal, California · 14898 days ago · 6 km deep · 40 km away
  16. 2.515 km NNW of Coalinga, California · 14899 days ago · 5 km deep · 30 km away
  17. 1.723 km NE of King City, California · 14899 days ago · 3 km deep · 52 km away
  18. 1.612 km NNE of Coalinga, California · 14899 days ago · 6 km deep · 36 km away
  19. 3.012 km NNE of Coalinga, California · 14899 days ago · 19 km deep · 35 km away
  20. 2.26 km N of Coalinga, California · 14899 days ago · 12 km deep · 27 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc61545. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 9:33 PM UTC.