California earthquakes

M1.7 earthquake 2 km E of Big Sur, California

A magnitude 1.7 earthquake struck 2 km E of Big Sur, California on Fri, Mar 27, 1987, 3:43 AM PST (11:43 UTC), 15 km (10 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M1.9 4 km ESE of Interlaken, California. This one was a foreshock.

Big Sur 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
1.7 (md), micro
Local time
UTC
1987-03-27 11:43:04 UTC
Depth
15.3 km (9.5 mi), shallow
Epicenter
36.273° N, 121.778° 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 1.5 km horizontally, 1.7 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.26
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
197°, poorly surrounded by stations
Stations used
14

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 91 in the 60 days after this one and 69 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 1.622 km SE of Tres Pinos, California · 14422 days ago · 8 km deep · 67 km away
  2. 1.76 km NNE of Tres Pinos, California · 14422 days ago · 4 km deep · 77 km away
  3. 1.61 km ESE of Tres Pinos, California · 14421 days ago · 8 km deep · 71 km away
  4. 1.94 km ESE of Interlaken, California · 14421 days ago · 10 km deep · 74 km away
  5. 1.55 km N of San Ardo, California · 14420 days ago · 6 km deep · 82 km away
  6. 1.85 km NNE of Tres Pinos, California · 14418 days ago · 7 km deep · 76 km away
  7. 2.0Central California · 14418 days ago · 17 km deep · 22 km away
  8. 1.86 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 14418 days ago · 8 km deep · 65 km away
  9. 1.66 km ENE of Hollister, California · 14417 days ago · 9 km deep · 78 km away
  10. 2.324 km NE of Greenfield, California · 14416 days ago · 2 km deep · 69 km away
  11. 2.910 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 14415 days ago · 4 km deep · 62 km away
  12. 2.610 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 14415 days ago · 4 km deep · 62 km away
  13. 1.524 km NE of Greenfield, California · 14413 days ago · 6 km deep · 69 km away
  14. 2.09 km SSW of Tres Pinos, California · 14413 days ago · 3 km deep · 62 km away
  15. 2.723 km ENE of Soledad, California · 14412 days ago · 5 km deep · 67 km away
  16. 1.523 km NE of Greenfield, California · 14412 days ago · 10 km deep · 68 km away
  17. 1.724 km NE of Greenfield, California · 14410 days ago · 5 km deep · 69 km away
  18. 1.66 km NNE of Tres Pinos, California · 14408 days ago · 4 km deep · 76 km away
  19. 1.737 km NE of Greenfield, California · 14408 days ago · 13 km deep · 82 km away
  20. 1.925 km NE of King City, California · 14408 days ago · 1 km deep · 74 km away
  21. 3.02 km W of Hollister, California · 14407 days ago · 5 km deep · 71 km away
  22. 1.6Central California · 14406 days ago · 9 km deep · 70 km away
  23. 2.122 km ENE of Soledad, California · 14404 days ago · 8 km deep · 66 km away
  24. 1.85 km ENE of Hollister, California · 14403 days ago · 7 km deep · 78 km away
  25. 1.623 km NE of San Ardo, California · 14403 days ago · 7 km deep · 92 km away
  26. 3.128 km SE of Tres Pinos, California · 14402 days ago · 8 km deep · 71 km away
  27. 3.022 km NE of San Lucas, California · 14402 days ago · 9 km deep · 85 km away
  28. 2.822 km NE of San Lucas, California · 14402 days ago · 9 km deep · 85 km away
  29. 1.721 km NE of San Lucas, California · 14402 days ago · 8 km deep · 85 km away
  30. 2.822 km NE of San Lucas, California · 14402 days ago · 9 km deep · 86 km away
  31. 1.621 km NE of San Lucas, California · 14402 days ago · 7 km deep · 84 km away
  32. 1.617 km NNE of Soledad, California · 14401 days ago · 11 km deep · 57 km away
  33. 2.01 km W of Tres Pinos, California · 14401 days ago · 4 km deep · 69 km away
  34. 2.78 km NE of San Martin, California · 14401 days ago · 7 km deep · 98 km away
  35. 1.524 km NE of Greenfield, California · 14401 days ago · 0 km deep · 69 km away
  36. 1.75 km ENE of Hollister, California · 14400 days ago · 7 km deep · 78 km away
  37. 2.017 km S of Big Sur, California · 14400 days ago · 12 km deep · 18 km away
  38. 1.935 km W of Lockwood, California · 14400 days ago · 11 km deep · 43 km away
  39. 1.921 km NNE of Soledad, California · 14399 days ago · 6 km deep · 63 km away
  40. 1.621 km NE of Soledad, California · 14399 days ago · 2 km deep · 64 km away
  41. 2.221 km NNE of Soledad, California · 14398 days ago · 6 km deep · 63 km away
  42. 2.123 km NE of San Ardo, California · 14398 days ago · 7 km deep · 92 km away
  43. 2.123 km NNE of San Lucas, California · 14397 days ago · 5 km deep · 81 km away
  44. 2.82 km SW of Ridgemark, California · 14394 days ago · 13 km deep · 68 km away
  45. 2.3Central California · 14394 days ago · 4 km deep · 64 km away
  46. 2.025 km NE of Soledad, California · 14394 days ago · 9 km deep · 69 km away
  47. 1.63 km NNE of Pacific Grove, California · 14393 days ago · 11 km deep · 43 km away
  48. 1.621 km SE of Big Sur, California · 14391 days ago · 10 km deep · 19 km away
  49. 2.85 km NNE of Tres Pinos, California · 14391 days ago · 8 km deep · 76 km away
  50. 1.94 km S of San Juan Bautista, California · 14391 days ago · 7 km deep · 63 km away
  51. 1.8Central California · 14391 days ago · 17 km deep · 97 km away
  52. 1.8Central California · 14391 days ago · 7 km deep · 69 km away
  53. 4.15 km NNE of Tres Pinos, California · 14390 days ago · 8 km deep · 76 km away
  54. 1.94 km NE of Tres Pinos, California · 14390 days ago · 7 km deep · 75 km away
  55. 3.15 km NNE of Tres Pinos, California · 14390 days ago · 8 km deep · 76 km away
  56. 1.618 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 14389 days ago · 6 km deep · 62 km away
  57. 1.94 km NE of Tres Pinos, California · 14388 days ago · 8 km deep · 75 km away
  58. 2.05 km NNE of Tres Pinos, California · 14388 days ago · 8 km deep · 76 km away
  59. 1.65 km SW of Gilroy, California · 14387 days ago · 3 km deep · 79 km away
  60. 2.34 km SSE of San Juan Bautista, California · 14387 days ago · 7 km deep · 63 km away

The first 60 of 91.

Before

  1. 2.48 km ENE of San Martin, California · 14425 days ago · 8 km deep · 97 km away
  2. 1.622 km NE of Soledad, California · 14425 days ago · 4 km deep · 66 km away
  3. 2.1Central California · 14426 days ago · 5 km deep · 62 km away
  4. 1.52 km N of Aromas, California · 14426 days ago · 6 km deep · 72 km away
  5. 1.92 km NNE of Aromas, California · 14427 days ago · 6 km deep · 72 km away
  6. 1.624 km NE of Greenfield, California · 14429 days ago · 6 km deep · 69 km away
  7. 2.124 km NE of Greenfield, California · 14429 days ago · 5 km deep · 69 km away
  8. 1.66 km NE of Interlaken, California · 14431 days ago · 10 km deep · 80 km away
  9. 2.910 km NNW of Hollister, California · 14431 days ago · 2 km deep · 80 km away
  10. 1.820 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 14431 days ago · 5 km deep · 62 km away
  11. 1.623 km NE of King City, California · 14431 days ago · 6 km deep · 74 km away
  12. 2.710 km SW of Ridgemark, California · 14432 days ago · 8 km deep · 60 km away
  13. 1.66 km ENE of Hollister, California · 14432 days ago · 6 km deep · 78 km away
  14. 1.820 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 14432 days ago · 5 km deep · 62 km away
  15. 1.85 km NNE of Tres Pinos, California · 14433 days ago · 6 km deep · 76 km away
  16. 2.522 km NE of Soledad, California · 14433 days ago · 5 km deep · 64 km away
  17. 1.634 km NW of San Simeon, California · 14433 days ago · 11 km deep · 55 km away
  18. 2.420 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 14433 days ago · 5 km deep · 62 km away
  19. 1.524 km NE of Greenfield, California · 14434 days ago · 7 km deep · 70 km away
  20. 1.716 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 14434 days ago · 9 km deep · 61 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc97534. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 8:57 PM UTC.