California earthquakes

M3.2 earthquake 20 km NNE of Mesa, California

A magnitude 3.2 earthquake struck 20 km NNE of Mesa, California on Sun, Jul 20, 1986, 2:18 PM PDT (21:18 UTC), 4 km (3 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: 3.2 (md), minor
Local time: Sun, Jul 20, 1986, 2:18 PM PDT
UTC: 1986-07-20 21:18:12 UTC
Depth: 4.5 km (2.8 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 37.581° N, 118.424° 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: ±0.19
Depth from: From location
Station coverage gap: 54°
Stations used: 40

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 200 in the 60 days after this one and at least 200 in the 30 days before it.

After

The first 60 of at least 200.

Before

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc98658 (also filed as ci703543, usp0002w8e). Read Tue, Sep 29, 2026, 9:34 PM UTC.