California earthquakes

M3.4 earthquake 15 km NNE of Mesa, California

A magnitude 3.4 earthquake struck 15 km NNE of Mesa, California on Sun, Jul 20, 1986, 11:53 AM PDT (18:53 UTC), 8 km (5 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M6.4 The 1986 Chalfant Valley, California Earthquake. This one was a foreshock.

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The earthquake

Magnitude: 3.4 (md), minor
Local time: Sun, Jul 20, 1986, 11:53 AM PDT
UTC: 1986-07-20 18:53:19 UTC
Depth: 7.8 km (4.8 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 37.546° N, 118.464° 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 0.2 km horizontally, 0.8 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty: ±0.22
Depth from: From location
Station coverage gap: 54°
Stations used: 37

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: at least 201 in the 60 days after this one and at least 200 in the 30 days before it.

After

The first 60 of at least 201.

Before

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc100622 (also filed as ci703514, usp0002w85). Read Tue, Sep 29, 2026, 8:59 PM UTC.