California earthquakes

M1.6 earthquake 9 km SW of Avenal, California

A magnitude 1.6 earthquake struck 9 km SW of Avenal, California on Thu, Dec 15, 1988, 5:51 AM PST (13:51 UTC), 22 km (14 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M3.3 8 km N of Coalinga, California. This one was a foreshock.

Avenal 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, duration), micro
Magnitude from
Northern California Seismic System
Local time
UTC
1988-12-15 13:51:52 UTC
Depth
22.1 km (13.7 mi), shallow
Epicenter
35.946° N, 120.203° 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 0.9 km horizontally, 2.8 km in depth
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
158°
Stations used
9

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 65 in the 60 days after this one and 49 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 2.52 km SSE of Huron, California · 13804 days ago · 8 km deep · 28 km away
  2. 1.7Central California · 13804 days ago · 15 km deep · 3 km away
  3. 1.710 km SW of Avenal, California · 13804 days ago · 17 km deep · 2 km away
  4. 1.811 km SW of Oak Shores, California · 13803 days ago · 9 km deep · 83 km away
  5. 1.610 km NE of Coalinga, California · 13803 days ago · 11 km deep · 31 km away
  6. 1.7Central California · 13802 days ago · 7 km deep · 56 km away
  7. 2.5Near the coast of Central California · 13802 days ago · 9 km deep · 83 km away
  8. 1.85 km S of Huron, California · 13801 days ago · 5 km deep · 25 km away
  9. 1.616 km NNW of Coalinga, California · 13800 days ago · 11 km deep · 42 km away
  10. 1.935 km NE of King City, California · 13798 days ago · 12 km deep · 81 km away
  11. 3.38 km N of Coalinga, California · 13797 days ago · 12 km deep · 33 km away
  12. 2.37 km N of Coalinga, California · 13797 days ago · 10 km deep · 32 km away
  13. 1.98 km N of Coalinga, California · 13797 days ago · 10 km deep · 34 km away
  14. 2.08 km N of Coalinga, California · 13797 days ago · 11 km deep · 33 km away
  15. 1.68 km N of Coalinga, California · 13797 days ago · 11 km deep · 33 km away
  16. 1.523 km NW of Coalinga, California · 13796 days ago · 0 km deep · 48 km away
  17. 2.08 km N of Coalinga, California · 13796 days ago · 11 km deep · 33 km away
  18. 1.511 km NNE of Coalinga, California · 13795 days ago · 9 km deep · 35 km away
  19. 1.524 km NE of Greenfield, California · 13794 days ago · 4 km deep · 92 km away
  20. 1.78 km N of Coalinga, California · 13793 days ago · 11 km deep · 33 km away
  21. 2.010km ESE of Simmler, CA · 13791 days ago · 8 km deep · 74 km away
  22. 2.013 km W of Oak Shores, California · 13789 days ago · 6 km deep · 85 km away
  23. 1.612 km SW of Lake Nacimiento, California · 13789 days ago · 6 km deep · 76 km away
  24. 1.83 km SW of Huron, California · 13786 days ago · 6 km deep · 27 km away
  25. 1.624 km NE of Greenfield, California · 13782 days ago · 5 km deep · 96 km away
  26. 2.27 km N of Coalinga, California · 13780 days ago · 12 km deep · 33 km away
  27. 2.010 km S of Huron, California · 13780 days ago · 6 km deep · 19 km away
  28. 2.610 km SSW of Huron, California · 13780 days ago · 8 km deep · 19 km away
  29. 2.410 km SSW of Huron, California · 13780 days ago · 4 km deep · 19 km away
  30. 1.616 km NW of Parkfield, California · 13779 days ago · 4 km deep · 33 km away
  31. 1.716 km NW of Parkfield, California · 13779 days ago · 4 km deep · 33 km away
  32. 1.810 km WNW of Paso Robles, California · 13779 days ago · 6 km deep · 61 km away
  33. 1.624 km ENE of Greenfield, CA · 13778 days ago · 5 km deep · 91 km away
  34. 1.66 km W of Lanare, California · 13775 days ago · 20 km deep · 56 km away
  35. 1.924 km NE of Greenfield, California · 13775 days ago · 5 km deep · 94 km away
  36. 2.314 km NNE of Shandon, California · 13773 days ago · 8 km deep · 22 km away
  37. 2.07 km ENE of Avenal, California · 13772 days ago · 10 km deep · 16 km away
  38. 1.83 km NE of Avenal, California · 13772 days ago · 8 km deep · 13 km away
  39. 1.84 km NNW of Avenal, California · 13771 days ago · 3 km deep · 11 km away
  40. 1.73 km WNW of Parkfield, California · 13770 days ago · 5 km deep · 25 km away
  41. 2.711 km E of Coalinga, California · 13768 days ago · 9 km deep · 24 km away
  42. 2.125 km NE of Greenfield, California · 13767 days ago · 8 km deep · 93 km away
  43. 1.525 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 13764 days ago · 2 km deep · 91 km away
  44. 2.510 km NE of Coalinga, California · 13762 days ago · 9 km deep · 31 km away
  45. 1.710 km NNE of Coalinga, California · 13762 days ago · 9 km deep · 31 km away
  46. 1.624 km NE of Greenfield, California · 13761 days ago · 2 km deep · 93 km away
  47. 1.522 km NE of San Lucas, California · 13761 days ago · 6 km deep · 71 km away
  48. 1.83 km NW of Avenal, California · 13761 days ago · 13 km deep · 10 km away
  49. 1.820 km S of Three Rocks, California · 13760 days ago · 11 km deep · 46 km away
  50. 1.95 km NE of Coalinga, California · 13758 days ago · 9 km deep · 28 km away
  51. 2.036 km W of Three Rocks, California · 13758 days ago · 8 km deep · 81 km away
  52. 1.736 km NE of King City, California · 13757 days ago · 15 km deep · 80 km away
  53. 2.012 km W of Oak Shores, California · 13757 days ago · 6 km deep · 84 km away
  54. 1.816 km SSE of Kettleman City, California · 13756 days ago · 9 km deep · 28 km away
  55. 1.610 km WNW of Huron, California · 13755 days ago · 19 km deep · 31 km away
  56. 1.911 km NNE of Cayucos, California · 13755 days ago · 4 km deep · 73 km away
  57. 2.212 km WSW of Avenal, California · 13751 days ago · 16 km deep · 6 km away
  58. 1.710 km W of Avenal, California · 13751 days ago · 14 km deep · 7 km away
  59. 1.913 km SSW of Cantua Creek, California · 13751 days ago · 7 km deep · 50 km away
  60. 1.818 km WSW of Lockwood, California · 13750 days ago · 9 km deep · 96 km away

The first 60 of 65.

Before

  1. 2.28 km NNE of Coalinga, California · 13804 days ago · 10 km deep · 31 km away
  2. 2.122 km WSW of Alpaugh, California · 13805 days ago · 20 km deep · 44 km away
  3. 1.916 km N of Coalinga, California · 13806 days ago · 6 km deep · 40 km away
  4. 1.710 km NNE of Avenal, California · 13807 days ago · 7 km deep · 20 km away
  5. 2.018 km NNW of San Simeon, California · 13808 days ago · 7 km deep · 95 km away
  6. 1.616 km NW of Parkfield, California · 13809 days ago · 4 km deep · 33 km away
  7. 1.710 km SSE of Huron, California · 13809 days ago · 7 km deep · 22 km away
  8. 3.014 km WSW of Lockwood, California · 13811 days ago · 8 km deep · 92 km away
  9. 2.324 km NE of Greenfield, California · 13811 days ago · 5 km deep · 96 km away
  10. 1.78 km N of Coalinga, California · 13811 days ago · 12 km deep · 33 km away
  11. 1.58 km WNW of San Ardo, California · 13811 days ago · 10 km deep · 72 km away
  12. 2.38 km ESE of Stratford, California · 13813 days ago · 19 km deep · 49 km away
  13. 1.624 km NE of Greenfield, California · 13813 days ago · 6 km deep · 95 km away
  14. 1.714 km NW of Parkfield, California · 13813 days ago · 4 km deep · 31 km away
  15. 1.911 km NNE of Avenal, California · 13815 days ago · 7 km deep · 20 km away
  16. 1.912 km NE of Avenal, California · 13815 days ago · 8 km deep · 22 km away
  17. 1.511 km NNW of Kettleman City, California · 13815 days ago · 7 km deep · 23 km away
  18. 3.111 km SSE of Huron, California · 13815 days ago · 9 km deep · 23 km away
  19. 1.69 km SW of Huron, California · 13816 days ago · 8 km deep · 22 km away
  20. 2.112 km SW of Huron, California · 13816 days ago · 0 km deep · 21 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc10088708. Read Thu, Oct 1, 2026, 12:04 PM UTC.