California earthquakes

M1.8 earthquake 44km WSW of Encinitas, CA

A magnitude 1.8 earthquake struck 44km WSW of Encinitas, CA on Thu, Dec 18, 1986, 1:22 AM PST (09:22 UTC), 5 km (3 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M3.7 48km WSW of Carlsbad, CA. This one was a foreshock.

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

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The earthquake

Magnitude
1.8 (Mh), micro
Magnitude from
Southern California Seismic Network
Local time
UTC
1986-12-18 09:22:57 UTC
Depth
4.9 km (3.1 mi), shallow
Epicenter
32.921° N, 117.737° 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 2.6 km horizontally, 31.6 km in depth
Depth from
Operator assigned
Station coverage gap
312°, 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: 130 in the 60 days after this one and 88 in the 30 days before it.

After

The first 60 of 130.

Before

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event ci612246. Read Mon, Oct 5, 2026, 1:51 PM UTC.