California earthquakes

M3.0 earthquake 18 km SSW of Volta, California

A magnitude 3.0 earthquake struck 18 km SSW of Volta, California on Thu, Mar 20, 1986, 5:23 PM PST (01:23 UTC), 0 km (0 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M5.7 15 km NE of East Foothills, California. This one was a foreshock.

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Map

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

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The earthquake

Magnitude
3.0 (ml), minor
Local time
UTC
1986-03-21 01:23:47 UTC
Depth
0.3 km (0.2 mi), shallow
Epicenter
36.944° N, 121.020° 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 0.4 km horizontally, 4.9 km in depth
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
75°
Stations used
110

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 200 in the 60 days after this one and 121 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 2.113 km ESE of East Foothills, California · 14800 days ago · 8 km deep · 73 km away
  2. 2.75 km NE of Hollister, California · 14799 days ago · 6 km deep · 31 km away
  3. 1.65 km SE of Tres Pinos, California · 14799 days ago · 7 km deep · 30 km away
  4. 1.55 km NE of Hollister, California · 14799 days ago · 6 km deep · 31 km away
  5. 2.523 km ENE of San Ardo, California · 14799 days ago · 6 km deep · 97 km away
  6. 2.35 km NE of Tres Pinos, California · 14798 days ago · 8 km deep · 27 km away
  7. 1.919 km N of Coalinga, California · 14798 days ago · 10 km deep · 91 km away
  8. 2.08 km ENE of Hollister, California · 14798 days ago · 5 km deep · 27 km away
  9. 2.222 km NE of Soledad, California · 14798 days ago · 4 km deep · 42 km away
  10. 1.74 km ESE of Tres Pinos, California · 14797 days ago · 8 km deep · 30 km away
  11. 2.124 km ENE of Soledad, California · 14797 days ago · 1 km deep · 50 km away
  12. 1.8Central California · 14797 days ago · 8 km deep · 27 km away
  13. 2.915 km NE of East Foothills, California · 14797 days ago · 9 km deep · 84 km away
  14. 2.616 km NE of East Foothills, California · 14797 days ago · 8 km deep · 84 km away
  15. 1.711 km NNE of Hollister, California · 14797 days ago · 6 km deep · 29 km away
  16. 1.616 km NE of East Foothills, California · 14797 days ago · 8 km deep · 84 km away
  17. 2.34 km ESE of Tres Pinos, California · 14797 days ago · 8 km deep · 30 km away
  18. 1.9Northern California · 14797 days ago · 8 km deep · 84 km away
  19. 1.5Central California · 14797 days ago · 9 km deep · 30 km away
  20. 3.021 km NE of Soledad, California · 14796 days ago · 3 km deep · 43 km away
  21. 1.67 km NNE of Tres Pinos, California · 14796 days ago · 7 km deep · 27 km away
  22. 1.85 km NNE of Tres Pinos, California · 14796 days ago · 4 km deep · 28 km away
  23. 2.16 km NNE of Tres Pinos, California · 14795 days ago · 4 km deep · 27 km away
  24. 2.44 km NE of Tres Pinos, California · 14795 days ago · 8 km deep · 27 km away
  25. 2.416 km NNW of Coalinga, California · 14795 days ago · 8 km deep · 91 km away
  26. 1.76 km S of Cantua Creek, California · 14795 days ago · 11 km deep · 84 km away
  27. 1.610 km N of Coalinga, California · 14794 days ago · 10 km deep · 99 km away
  28. 2.05 km NE of Hollister, California · 14794 days ago · 5 km deep · 31 km away
  29. 3.214 km N of Morgan Hill, California · 14793 days ago · 6 km deep · 65 km away
  30. 1.627 km ENE of Soledad, California · 14793 days ago · 7 km deep · 43 km away
  31. 1.92 km SSW of San Juan Bautista, California · 14793 days ago · 6 km deep · 49 km away
  32. 2.24 km NNE of Tres Pinos, California · 14791 days ago · 5 km deep · 28 km away
  33. 1.714 km E of Tres Pinos, California · 14790 days ago · 5 km deep · 23 km away
  34. 1.63 km ENE of Tres Pinos, California · 14790 days ago · 8 km deep · 28 km away
  35. 1.74 km ENE of Tres Pinos, California · 14790 days ago · 9 km deep · 27 km away
  36. 2.715 km NE of East Foothills, California · 14790 days ago · 8 km deep · 84 km away
  37. 1.727 km ENE of Soledad, California · 14790 days ago · 11 km deep · 43 km away
  38. 2.023 km NE of Greenfield, California · 14790 days ago · 7 km deep · 53 km away
  39. 5.715 km NE of East Foothills, California · 14790 days ago · 9 km deep · 84 km away
  40. 3.214 km NE of East Foothills, California · 14790 days ago · 8 km deep · 82 km away
  41. 2.914 km NE of East Foothills, California · 14790 days ago · 9 km deep · 83 km away
  42. 3.217 km NE of East Foothills, California · 14790 days ago · 7 km deep · 86 km away
  43. 2.215 km NE of East Foothills, California · 14790 days ago · 7 km deep · 83 km away
  44. 1.915 km NE of East Foothills, California · 14790 days ago · 6 km deep · 84 km away
  45. 2.3Northern California · 14790 days ago · 6 km deep · 85 km away
  46. 2.217 km NE of East Foothills, California · 14790 days ago · 8 km deep · 86 km away
  47. 1.814 km ENE of East Foothills, California · 14790 days ago · 8 km deep · 81 km away
  48. 1.714 km NE of East Foothills, California · 14790 days ago · 2 km deep · 83 km away
  49. 2.816 km NE of East Foothills, California · 14790 days ago · 8 km deep · 85 km away
  50. 1.715 km NE of East Foothills, California · 14790 days ago · 8 km deep · 82 km away
  51. 1.715 km NE of East Foothills, California · 14790 days ago · 9 km deep · 83 km away
  52. 1.516 km NE of East Foothills, California · 14790 days ago · 7 km deep · 84 km away
  53. 2.1Northern California · 14790 days ago · 6 km deep · 86 km away
  54. 2.015 km NE of East Foothills, California · 14790 days ago · 8 km deep · 83 km away
  55. 1.617 km NE of East Foothills, California · 14790 days ago · 7 km deep · 86 km away
  56. 3.017 km NE of East Foothills, California · 14790 days ago · 6 km deep · 86 km away
  57. 2.517 km NE of East Foothills, California · 14790 days ago · 6 km deep · 86 km away
  58. 1.618 km NE of East Foothills, California · 14790 days ago · 8 km deep · 86 km away
  59. 1.615 km NE of East Foothills, California · 14790 days ago · 5 km deep · 83 km away
  60. 1.916 km NE of East Foothills, California · 14790 days ago · 9 km deep · 84 km away

The first 60 of 200.

Before

  1. 2.014 km E of Seven Trees, California · 14800 days ago · 2 km deep · 70 km away
  2. 1.515 km NE of East Foothills, California · 14801 days ago · 8 km deep · 84 km away
  3. 1.613 km N of Morgan Hill, California · 14801 days ago · 3 km deep · 64 km away
  4. 1.79 km NNE of Tres Pinos, California · 14802 days ago · 8 km deep · 25 km away
  5. 1.61 km SW of Tres Pinos, California · 14803 days ago · 4 km deep · 33 km away
  6. 1.79 km ENE of Morgan Hill, California · 14804 days ago · 5 km deep · 53 km away
  7. 2.118 km SSW of Three Rocks, California · 14804 days ago · 10 km deep · 85 km away
  8. 2.020 km S of Three Rocks, California · 14804 days ago · 12 km deep · 86 km away
  9. 2.620 km S of Three Rocks, California · 14804 days ago · 10 km deep · 87 km away
  10. 1.64 km SE of Tres Pinos, California · 14804 days ago · 9 km deep · 30 km away
  11. 1.8Central California · 14804 days ago · 7 km deep · 36 km away
  12. 1.86 km NE of Ridgemark, California · 14805 days ago · 7 km deep · 28 km away
  13. 2.015 km N of Morgan Hill, California · 14805 days ago · 2 km deep · 67 km away
  14. 1.730 km ENE of Soledad, California · 14806 days ago · 8 km deep · 41 km away
  15. 1.722 km SSW of Los Banos, California · 14806 days ago · 1 km deep · 7 km away
  16. 1.723 km NE of San Lucas, California · 14806 days ago · 7 km deep · 76 km away
  17. 1.76 km NE of Ridgemark, California · 14806 days ago · 5 km deep · 27 km away
  18. 1.912 km N of Coalinga, California · 14807 days ago · 8 km deep · 97 km away
  19. 2.0Central California · 14807 days ago · 11 km deep · 52 km away
  20. 1.65 km NNE of Tres Pinos, California · 14807 days ago · 6 km deep · 27 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc68452 (also filed as usp0002s0q). Read Sun, Sep 27, 2026, 3:29 AM UTC.