California earthquakes

M1.5 earthquake Central California

A magnitude 1.5 earthquake struck in Central California on Wed, Mar 18, 1987, 9:28 AM PST (17:28 UTC), 10 km (6 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M2.5 22 km NE of Soledad, 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
1.5 (md), micro
Local time
UTC
1987-03-18 17:28:15 UTC
Depth
9.7 km (6.0 mi), shallow
Epicenter
36.203° N, 120.351° 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 0.3 km horizontally, 0.7 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.07
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
104°
Stations used
12

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 119 in the 60 days after this one and 76 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 2.522 km NE of Soledad, California · 14433 days ago · 5 km deep · 86 km away
  2. 1.63 km SSW of Paso Robles, California · 14433 days ago · 4 km deep · 74 km away
  3. 1.96 km N of Coalinga, California · 14433 days ago · 11 km deep · 0 km away
  4. 1.76 km N of Coalinga, California · 14433 days ago · 11 km deep · 0 km away
  5. 2.07 km N of Coalinga, California · 14433 days ago · 10 km deep · 0 km away
  6. 2.116 km N of Coalinga, California · 14432 days ago · 10 km deep · 9 km away
  7. 1.820 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 14432 days ago · 5 km deep · 91 km away
  8. 1.916 km S of Three Rocks, California · 14431 days ago · 12 km deep · 18 km away
  9. 1.623 km NE of King City, California · 14431 days ago · 6 km deep · 59 km away
  10. 1.820 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 14431 days ago · 5 km deep · 91 km away
  11. 2.04 km NNE of Coalinga, California · 14431 days ago · 12 km deep · 3 km away
  12. 1.910 km NNE of Avenal, California · 14430 days ago · 10 km deep · 29 km away
  13. 1.815 km NNW of Coalinga, California · 14429 days ago · 9 km deep · 9 km away
  14. 1.615 km NW of Parkfield, California · 14429 days ago · 3 km deep · 29 km away
  15. 1.98 km NW of Avenal, California · 14429 days ago · 13 km deep · 21 km away
  16. 2.124 km NE of Greenfield, California · 14429 days ago · 5 km deep · 69 km away
  17. 1.624 km NE of Greenfield, California · 14428 days ago · 6 km deep · 69 km away
  18. 2.68 km NE of Avenal, California · 14428 days ago · 8 km deep · 31 km away
  19. 3.77 km NE of Avenal, California · 14428 days ago · 8 km deep · 30 km away
  20. 1.68 km N of Coalinga, California · 14428 days ago · 12 km deep · 1 km away
  21. 2.1Central California · 14426 days ago · 5 km deep · 95 km away
  22. 1.622 km NE of Soledad, California · 14424 days ago · 4 km deep · 79 km away
  23. 1.611 km NW of Parkfield, California · 14424 days ago · 11 km deep · 30 km away
  24. 2.124 km S of Kettleman City, California · 14424 days ago · 8 km deep · 57 km away
  25. 1.925 km SSW of Kettleman City, California · 14424 days ago · 8 km deep · 55 km away
  26. 2.025 km S of Kettleman City, California · 14424 days ago · 7 km deep · 56 km away
  27. 1.625km E of Cholame, CA · 14424 days ago · 5 km deep · 61 km away
  28. 2.023 km S of Kettleman City, California · 14424 days ago · 0 km deep · 59 km away
  29. 2.0Central California · 14424 days ago · 2 km deep · 58 km away
  30. 2.418km S of Kettleman City, CA · 14424 days ago · 5 km deep · 54 km away
  31. 2.525 km S of Kettleman City, California · 14423 days ago · 9 km deep · 60 km away
  32. 1.724 km S of Kettleman City, California · 14423 days ago · 7 km deep · 58 km away
  33. 1.622 km SE of Tres Pinos, California · 14422 days ago · 8 km deep · 87 km away
  34. 2.416 km NNW of Coalinga, California · 14422 days ago · 10 km deep · 10 km away
  35. 3.03 km NNW of Cayucos, California · 14421 days ago · 5 km deep · 95 km away
  36. 1.55 km N of San Ardo, California · 14420 days ago · 6 km deep · 52 km away
  37. 1.59 km NE of Coalinga, California · 14418 days ago · 13 km deep · 5 km away
  38. 2.29 km E of Coalinga, California · 14417 days ago · 11 km deep · 12 km away
  39. 1.89 km E of Coalinga, California · 14417 days ago · 11 km deep · 12 km away
  40. 2.47 km SW of Huron, California · 14416 days ago · 8 km deep · 17 km away
  41. 2.324 km NE of Greenfield, California · 14416 days ago · 2 km deep · 69 km away
  42. 1.925 km S of Kettleman City, California · 14415 days ago · 8 km deep · 57 km away
  43. 2.323 km S of Kettleman City, California · 14415 days ago · 0 km deep · 57 km away
  44. 2.117 km NNE of Coalinga, California · 14414 days ago · 6 km deep · 11 km away
  45. 2.024 km S of Kettleman City, California · 14414 days ago · 9 km deep · 56 km away
  46. 1.8Central California · 14414 days ago · 6 km deep · 11 km away
  47. 2.316 km N of Coalinga, California · 14414 days ago · 5 km deep · 9 km away
  48. 2.017 km NNE of Coalinga, California · 14414 days ago · 6 km deep · 11 km away
  49. 2.017 km NNE of Coalinga, California · 14414 days ago · 6 km deep · 10 km away
  50. 1.524 km NE of Greenfield, California · 14413 days ago · 6 km deep · 69 km away
  51. 2.723 km ENE of Soledad, California · 14412 days ago · 5 km deep · 75 km away
  52. 1.523 km NE of Greenfield, California · 14412 days ago · 10 km deep · 70 km away
  53. 1.718 km NNW of Coalinga, California · 14412 days ago · 9 km deep · 13 km away
  54. 1.724 km NE of Greenfield, California · 14409 days ago · 5 km deep · 69 km away
  55. 1.737 km NE of Greenfield, California · 14408 days ago · 13 km deep · 61 km away
  56. 2.715 km NW of Parkfield, California · 14407 days ago · 5 km deep · 29 km away
  57. 1.925 km NE of King City, California · 14407 days ago · 1 km deep · 60 km away
  58. 2.29 km NNW of Coalinga, California · 14407 days ago · 6 km deep · 6 km away
  59. 3.111 km SW of Lake Nacimiento, California · 14406 days ago · 4 km deep · 83 km away
  60. 1.6Central California · 14406 days ago · 9 km deep · 77 km away

The first 60 of 119.

Before

  1. 3.16 km N of Coalinga, California · 14433 days ago · 12 km deep · 1 km away
  2. 2.77 km N of Coalinga, California · 14433 days ago · 12 km deep · 1 km away
  3. 2.420 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 14433 days ago · 5 km deep · 91 km away
  4. 1.524 km NE of Greenfield, California · 14434 days ago · 7 km deep · 67 km away
  5. 1.716 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 14434 days ago · 9 km deep · 96 km away
  6. 1.62 km ENE of San Ardo, California · 14434 days ago · 9 km deep · 51 km away
  7. 2.811 km E of Coalinga, California · 14435 days ago · 5 km deep · 13 km away
  8. 2.210 km E of Coalinga, California · 14435 days ago · 0 km deep · 13 km away
  9. 2.210 km E of Coalinga, California · 14435 days ago · 8 km deep · 12 km away
  10. 1.821 km NE of Soledad, California · 14436 days ago · 3 km deep · 86 km away
  11. 2.028 km NE of Soledad, California · 14436 days ago · 5 km deep · 78 km away
  12. 1.623 km ENE of Soledad, California · 14437 days ago · 3 km deep · 75 km away
  13. 1.911 km NW of Parkfield, California · 14437 days ago · 10 km deep · 31 km away
  14. 1.78 km ENE of Coalinga, California · 14438 days ago · 11 km deep · 9 km away
  15. 1.915 km NNW of Coalinga, California · 14438 days ago · 8 km deep · 9 km away
  16. 1.622 km NNE of Soledad, California · 14439 days ago · 6 km deep · 89 km away
  17. 2.96 km N of Avenal, California · 14439 days ago · 6 km deep · 26 km away
  18. 1.529 km ENE of Soledad, California · 14440 days ago · 7 km deep · 75 km away
  19. 1.627 km NE of Soledad, California · 14440 days ago · 7 km deep · 80 km away
  20. 1.722 km NNE of Soledad, California · 14440 days ago · 5 km deep · 88 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc97118. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 4:01 PM UTC.