California earthquakes

M1.5 earthquake 27 km SE of Big Sur, California

A magnitude 1.5 earthquake struck 27 km SE of Big Sur, California on Sun, Dec 4, 1988, 2:23 PM PST (22:23 UTC), 7 km (4 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M3.8 4 km NE of Tres Pinos, 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
1.5 (Md, duration), micro
Magnitude from
Northern California Seismic System
Local time
UTC
1988-12-04 22:23:53 UTC
Depth
6.8 km (4.2 mi), shallow
Epicenter
36.095° N, 121.584° 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 0.4 km horizontally, 1.0 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.11
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
174°
Stations used
18

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 105 in the 60 days after this one and 59 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 1.711 km NNW of Hollister, California · 13816 days ago · 7 km deep · 96 km away
  2. 1.511 km NNW of Hollister, California · 13816 days ago · 6 km deep · 96 km away
  3. 2.26 km ENE of Hollister, California · 13815 days ago · 5 km deep · 90 km away
  4. 1.714 km NW of Parkfield, California · 13815 days ago · 4 km deep · 94 km away
  5. 1.624 km NE of Greenfield, California · 13815 days ago · 6 km deep · 64 km away
  6. 1.67 km NE of Ridgemark, California · 13814 days ago · 4 km deep · 88 km away
  7. 2.727 km SE of Big Sur, California · 13813 days ago · 10 km deep · 0 km away
  8. 1.58 km WNW of San Ardo, California · 13813 days ago · 10 km deep · 54 km away
  9. 2.324 km NE of Greenfield, California · 13813 days ago · 5 km deep · 64 km away
  10. 3.014 km WSW of Lockwood, California · 13812 days ago · 8 km deep · 41 km away
  11. 2.028 km SE of Big Sur, California · 13812 days ago · 8 km deep · 0 km away
  12. 1.65 km SE of Tres Pinos, California · 13811 days ago · 9 km deep · 79 km away
  13. 1.616 km NW of Parkfield, California · 13811 days ago · 4 km deep · 93 km away
  14. 2.018 km NNW of San Simeon, California · 13810 days ago · 7 km deep · 45 km away
  15. 2.910 km ESE of Gilroy, California · 13809 days ago · 4 km deep · 98 km away
  16. 3.210 km ESE of Gilroy, California · 13809 days ago · 4 km deep · 98 km away
  17. 3.010 km ESE of Gilroy, California · 13809 days ago · 4 km deep · 98 km away
  18. 1.621 km NE of Soledad, California · 13809 days ago · 3 km deep · 65 km away
  19. 1.89 km ESE of Gilroy, California · 13808 days ago · 2 km deep · 98 km away
  20. 1.624 km NE of Soledad, California · 13807 days ago · 4 km deep · 67 km away
  21. 1.79 km SSW of Tres Pinos, California · 13807 days ago · 3 km deep · 71 km away
  22. 2.129 km SW of South Dos Palos, California · 13806 days ago · 0 km deep · 98 km away
  23. 2.415 km ENE of Tres Pinos, California · 13806 days ago · 4 km deep · 91 km away
  24. 1.611 km NNW of Hollister, California · 13806 days ago · 5 km deep · 96 km away
  25. 3.433 km WNW of San Simeon, California · 13806 days ago · 9 km deep · 38 km away
  26. 2.632 km WNW of San Simeon, California · 13806 days ago · 4 km deep · 37 km away
  27. 1.724 km WNW of San Simeon, California · 13805 days ago · 7 km deep · 41 km away
  28. 3.84 km NE of Tres Pinos, California · 13805 days ago · 7 km deep · 85 km away
  29. 2.94 km NE of Tres Pinos, California · 13805 days ago · 7 km deep · 85 km away
  30. 1.811 km SW of Oak Shores, California · 13805 days ago · 9 km deep · 63 km away
  31. 2.421 km NE of Soledad, California · 13805 days ago · 6 km deep · 64 km away
  32. 1.7Central California · 13804 days ago · 7 km deep · 76 km away
  33. 2.5Near the coast of Central California · 13804 days ago · 9 km deep · 63 km away
  34. 1.722 km NE of Soledad, California · 13804 days ago · 3 km deep · 64 km away
  35. 1.933 km WNW of San Simeon, California · 13803 days ago · 12 km deep · 38 km away
  36. 2.417 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 13802 days ago · 4 km deep · 68 km away
  37. 1.821 km NE of Soledad, California · 13801 days ago · 6 km deep · 64 km away
  38. 1.935 km NE of King City, California · 13800 days ago · 12 km deep · 76 km away
  39. 1.817 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 13800 days ago · 6 km deep · 69 km away
  40. 1.92 km SSW of Hollister, California · 13799 days ago · 9 km deep · 83 km away
  41. 2.417 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 13799 days ago · 6 km deep · 70 km away
  42. 2.117 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 13799 days ago · 6 km deep · 70 km away
  43. 1.523 km NW of Coalinga, California · 13798 days ago · 0 km deep · 94 km away
  44. 2.88 km NE of Ridgemark, California · 13797 days ago · 5 km deep · 90 km away
  45. 2.08 km SSE of San Juan Bautista, California · 13797 days ago · 7 km deep · 77 km away
  46. 1.510 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 13796 days ago · 4 km deep · 71 km away
  47. 1.524 km NE of Greenfield, California · 13795 days ago · 4 km deep · 64 km away
  48. 1.624 km NE of Soledad, California · 13795 days ago · 7 km deep · 67 km away
  49. 1.64 km WSW of Boronda, California · 13795 days ago · 4 km deep · 66 km away
  50. 2.06 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 13793 days ago · 7 km deep · 75 km away
  51. 2.12 km ESE of Aromas, California · 13793 days ago · 7 km deep · 87 km away
  52. 1.940 km SE of Big Sur, California · 13791 days ago · 3 km deep · 13 km away
  53. 2.013 km W of Oak Shores, California · 13791 days ago · 6 km deep · 54 km away
  54. 1.612 km SW of Lake Nacimiento, California · 13791 days ago · 6 km deep · 75 km away
  55. 1.511 km SSW of San Simeon, California · 13790 days ago · 3 km deep · 69 km away
  56. 3.032 km WNW of San Simeon, California · 13790 days ago · 5 km deep · 38 km away
  57. 2.223 km NE of Soledad, California · 13787 days ago · 2 km deep · 66 km away
  58. 2.39 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 13786 days ago · 3 km deep · 71 km away
  59. 2.222 km NE of Soledad, California · 13786 days ago · 2 km deep · 66 km away
  60. 1.624 km NE of Greenfield, California · 13784 days ago · 5 km deep · 64 km away

The first 60 of 105.

Before

  1. 1.713 km SW of Carmel Valley Village, California · 13817 days ago · 8 km deep · 43 km away
  2. 3.028 km SE of Big Sur, California · 13817 days ago · 3 km deep · 2 km away
  3. 1.725 km NE of Soledad, California · 13817 days ago · 10 km deep · 68 km away
  4. 2.728 km SE of Big Sur, California · 13817 days ago · 4 km deep · 2 km away
  5. 2.021 km NE of Soledad, California · 13818 days ago · 5 km deep · 65 km away
  6. 1.921 km NE of Soledad, California · 13818 days ago · 5 km deep · 64 km away
  7. 1.820 km NNE of Soledad, California · 13818 days ago · 5 km deep · 64 km away
  8. 2.211 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 13819 days ago · 4 km deep · 70 km away
  9. 2.817 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 13819 days ago · 10 km deep · 67 km away
  10. 1.81 km N of Interlaken, California · 13820 days ago · 11 km deep · 97 km away
  11. 1.5Central California · 13821 days ago · 3 km deep · 68 km away
  12. 2.64 km NNW of Aromas, California · 13821 days ago · 10 km deep · 92 km away
  13. 2.125 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 13822 days ago · 1 km deep · 64 km away
  14. 1.87 km NE of Ridgemark, California · 13822 days ago · 4 km deep · 89 km away
  15. 1.629 km SW of South Dos Palos, California · 13822 days ago · 6 km deep · 98 km away
  16. 1.724 km NE of Greenfield, California · 13823 days ago · 0 km deep · 64 km away
  17. 1.624 km ENE of San Ardo, California · 13826 days ago · 1 km deep · 85 km away
  18. 2.724 km ENE of San Ardo, California · 13826 days ago · 3 km deep · 85 km away
  19. 2.34 km NE of Tres Pinos, California · 13826 days ago · 6 km deep · 85 km away
  20. 1.824 km NE of Greenfield, California · 13827 days ago · 0 km deep · 64 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc128021. Read Sat, Oct 3, 2026, 8:29 AM UTC.