California earthquakes

M1.6 earthquake Central California

A magnitude 1.6 earthquake struck in Central California on Thu, May 21, 1987, 12:56 AM PDT (07:56 UTC), 3 km (2 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M1.7 9 km N of Coalinga, California. This one was a foreshock.

Coalinga 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
1.6 (md), micro
Local time
UTC
1987-05-21 07:56:22 UTC
Depth
3.4 km (2.1 mi), shallow
Epicenter
36.294° N, 120.299° 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 0.8 km horizontally, 0.9 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.09
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
173°
Stations used
6

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 103 in the 60 days after this one and 51 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 1.510 km NE of Coalinga, California · 14370 days ago · 11 km deep · 11 km away
  2. 1.79 km N of Coalinga, California · 14370 days ago · 9 km deep · 9 km away
  3. 1.818 km NNW of Coalinga, California · 14368 days ago · 10 km deep · 14 km away
  4. 2.622 km NE of Soledad, California · 14368 days ago · 4 km deep · 86 km away
  5. 1.92 km WNW of Avenal, California · 14368 days ago · 15 km deep · 34 km away
  6. 1.724 km NE of King City, California · 14366 days ago · 6 km deep · 58 km away
  7. 1.88 km ENE of Coalinga, California · 14366 days ago · 11 km deep · 14 km away
  8. 1.521 km NE of Soledad, California · 14365 days ago · 6 km deep · 84 km away
  9. 1.62 km ESE of San Ardo, California · 14364 days ago · 10 km deep · 61 km away
  10. 1.623 km ENE of Soledad, California · 14364 days ago · 5 km deep · 75 km away
  11. 1.823 km NE of Greenfield, California · 14363 days ago · 5 km deep · 69 km away
  12. 1.718 km NNW of Coalinga, California · 14362 days ago · 8 km deep · 12 km away
  13. 1.520 km NNW of Coalinga, California · 14362 days ago · 4 km deep · 14 km away
  14. 1.918 km NNW of Coalinga, California · 14361 days ago · 9 km deep · 12 km away
  15. 1.816 km NW of Parkfield, California · 14361 days ago · 4 km deep · 40 km away
  16. 1.816 km NW of Parkfield, California · 14361 days ago · 4 km deep · 40 km away
  17. 2.118 km SSW of Volta, California · 14360 days ago · 7 km deep · 95 km away
  18. 1.79 km N of Coalinga, California · 14359 days ago · 11 km deep · 10 km away
  19. 1.911 km WSW of Huron, California · 14358 days ago · 12 km deep · 18 km away
  20. 1.73km NW of Kettleman City, CA · 14358 days ago · 5 km deep · 41 km away
  21. 1.615 km NW of Parkfield, California · 14357 days ago · 4 km deep · 40 km away
  22. 1.918 km NNW of Coalinga, California · 14357 days ago · 9 km deep · 11 km away
  23. 3.018 km NNW of Coalinga, California · 14357 days ago · 9 km deep · 12 km away
  24. 1.621 km NE of Soledad, California · 14357 days ago · 2 km deep · 85 km away
  25. 1.724 km ENE of San Ardo, California · 14355 days ago · 3 km deep · 39 km away
  26. 2.29 km NE of Avenal, California · 14354 days ago · 15 km deep · 32 km away
  27. 2.921 km NE of Soledad, California · 14354 days ago · 2 km deep · 83 km away
  28. 1.520 km SE of Tres Pinos, California · 14354 days ago · 9 km deep · 87 km away
  29. 1.630 km ENE of Soledad, California · 14354 days ago · 7 km deep · 72 km away
  30. 1.79 km NE of Avenal, California · 14353 days ago · 14 km deep · 32 km away
  31. 2.621 km NE of Soledad, California · 14353 days ago · 2 km deep · 84 km away
  32. 1.910 km WSW of Three Rocks, California · 14353 days ago · 6 km deep · 28 km away
  33. 2.011 km WNW of Huron, California · 14352 days ago · 14 km deep · 10 km away
  34. 1.824 km ENE of San Ardo, California · 14352 days ago · 7 km deep · 38 km away
  35. 1.710 km NNE of Avenal, California · 14352 days ago · 15 km deep · 31 km away
  36. 1.521 km NE of Soledad, California · 14351 days ago · 3 km deep · 83 km away
  37. 1.79 km NE of Avenal, California · 14351 days ago · 14 km deep · 32 km away
  38. 2.8Central California · 14351 days ago · 15 km deep · 32 km away
  39. 2.99km N of Kettleman City, CA · 14351 days ago · 5 km deep · 38 km away
  40. 1.810 km NW of Kettleman City, California · 14351 days ago · 15 km deep · 34 km away
  41. 1.529 km NE of Soledad, California · 14348 days ago · 4 km deep · 75 km away
  42. 2.116 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 14348 days ago · 5 km deep · 95 km away
  43. 2.216 km NNW of Coalinga, California · 14347 days ago · 10 km deep · 10 km away
  44. 2.215 km NNW of Coalinga, California · 14347 days ago · 11 km deep · 10 km away
  45. 1.524 km NE of Greenfield, California · 14347 days ago · 5 km deep · 69 km away
  46. 1.95 km WSW of Fairmead, California · 14346 days ago · 4 km deep · 85 km away
  47. 1.922 km NNE of Soledad, California · 14346 days ago · 2 km deep · 86 km away
  48. 1.71 km W of Avenal, California · 14346 days ago · 17 km deep · 35 km away
  49. 1.93 km W of Avenal, California · 14346 days ago · 17 km deep · 34 km away
  50. 1.82 km W of Avenal, California · 14345 days ago · 15 km deep · 35 km away
  51. 1.915 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 14344 days ago · 5 km deep · 96 km away
  52. 1.523 km NNE of San Lucas, California · 14342 days ago · 4 km deep · 53 km away
  53. 2.424 km ENE of Soledad, California · 14341 days ago · 3 km deep · 73 km away
  54. 3.211 km NW of Coalinga, California · 14338 days ago · 7 km deep · 17 km away
  55. 1.6Central California · 14338 days ago · 7 km deep · 25 km away
  56. 1.525 km ENE of Tres Pinos, California · 14338 days ago · 2 km deep · 94 km away
  57. 2.912 km NNW of Avenal, California · 14337 days ago · 9 km deep · 24 km away
  58. 2.212 km SW of Huron, California · 14337 days ago · 7 km deep · 22 km away
  59. 2.012 km N of Coalinga, California · 14336 days ago · 10 km deep · 8 km away
  60. 1.840 km ESE of Tres Pinos, California · 14336 days ago · 5 km deep · 67 km away

The first 60 of 103.

Before

  1. 1.518 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 14370 days ago · 10 km deep · 93 km away
  2. 1.74 km NE of Avenal, California · 14370 days ago · 9 km deep · 34 km away
  3. 1.718 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 14372 days ago · 10 km deep · 93 km away
  4. 2.324 km NW of Parkfield, California · 14372 days ago · 0 km deep · 39 km away
  5. 1.923 km ENE of Soledad, California · 14373 days ago · 4 km deep · 73 km away
  6. 1.723 km NW of Parkfield, California · 14373 days ago · 6 km deep · 38 km away
  7. 2.220 km W of Lockwood, California · 14373 days ago · 2 km deep · 99 km away
  8. 2.12 km ESE of San Ardo, California · 14374 days ago · 11 km deep · 61 km away
  9. 1.817 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 14375 days ago · 4 km deep · 94 km away
  10. 2.810 km E of Coalinga, California · 14376 days ago · 10 km deep · 18 km away
  11. 1.617 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 14378 days ago · 4 km deep · 94 km away
  12. 1.714 km N of Coalinga, California · 14379 days ago · 9 km deep · 6 km away
  13. 1.819 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 14379 days ago · 4 km deep · 91 km away
  14. 2.421 km NE of Soledad, California · 14380 days ago · 2 km deep · 81 km away
  15. 2.018 km WSW of Mendota, California · 14380 days ago · 1 km deep · 53 km away
  16. 2.310 km S of Huron, California · 14381 days ago · 8 km deep · 28 km away
  17. 1.521 km NE of Soledad, California · 14381 days ago · 2 km deep · 85 km away
  18. 1.96 km ENE of Avenal, California · 14381 days ago · 10 km deep · 37 km away
  19. 1.614 km N of Coalinga, California · 14381 days ago · 10 km deep · 8 km away
  20. 1.811 km SW of Huron, California · 14382 days ago · 9 km deep · 20 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc100749. Read Wed, Sep 23, 2026, 8:39 AM UTC.