California earthquakes

M1.8 earthquake 17 km NE of Mesa, California

A magnitude 1.8 earthquake struck 17 km NE of Mesa, California on Wed, Dec 30, 1987, 9:34 PM PST (05:34 UTC), 6 km (3 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M3.1 17 km E of Sunny Slopes, 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
1.8 (Md, duration), micro
Magnitude from
Northern California Seismic System
Local time
UTC
1987-12-31 05:34:16 UTC
Depth
5.5 km (3.4 mi), shallow
Epicenter
37.548° N, 118.433° 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 0.2 km horizontally, 0.5 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.32
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
60°
Stations used
31

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 110 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 nc110369. Read Thu, Oct 1, 2026, 7:19 AM UTC.