California earthquakes

M1.5 earthquake 3 km ESE of Big Sur, CA

A magnitude 1.5 earthquake struck 3 km ESE of Big Sur, CA on Wed, Aug 23, 1989, 8:05 AM PDT (15:05 UTC), 17 km (10 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M6.9 The 1989 Loma Prieta, California Earthquake. 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
1989-08-23 15:05:56 UTC
Depth
16.9 km (10.5 mi), shallow
Epicenter
36.260° N, 121.781° 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 1.4 km horizontally, 1.6 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.22
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
209°, poorly surrounded by stations
Stations used
13

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 195 in the 60 days after this one and 59 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 1.66 km SSE of San Juan Bautista, California · 13554 days ago · 6 km deep · 64 km away
  2. 1.624 km ENE of Soledad, California · 13553 days ago · 7 km deep · 69 km away
  3. 1.821 km NE of Soledad, California · 13553 days ago · 5 km deep · 66 km away
  4. 1.928 km W of San Simeon, California · 13553 days ago · 5 km deep · 72 km away
  5. 3.322 km NNE of Soledad, California · 13552 days ago · 7 km deep · 64 km away
  6. 1.621 km NE of Soledad, California · 13552 days ago · 6 km deep · 65 km away
  7. 2.521 km NE of Soledad, California · 13552 days ago · 6 km deep · 64 km away
  8. 2.421 km NE of Soledad, California · 13552 days ago · 6 km deep · 64 km away
  9. 1.721 km NNE of Soledad, California · 13552 days ago · 6 km deep · 64 km away
  10. 2.621 km NE of Soledad, California · 13551 days ago · 9 km deep · 66 km away
  11. 1.921 km NE of Soledad, California · 13551 days ago · 8 km deep · 66 km away
  12. 2.415 km ESE of Tres Pinos, California · 13550 days ago · 9 km deep · 75 km away
  13. 1.621 km NE of Soledad, California · 13550 days ago · 7 km deep · 65 km away
  14. 1.826 km NE of San Ardo, California · 13550 days ago · 5 km deep · 96 km away
  15. 1.64 km ESE of Tres Pinos, California · 13549 days ago · 7 km deep · 72 km away
  16. 2.324 km NE of Greenfield, California · 13548 days ago · 7 km deep · 70 km away
  17. 2.424 km NE of Greenfield, California · 13547 days ago · 7 km deep · 70 km away
  18. 1.827 km SE of Big Sur, California · 13546 days ago · 14 km deep · 25 km away
  19. 2.023 km NE of King City, California · 13545 days ago · 5 km deep · 76 km away
  20. 2.021 km NE of Soledad, California · 13544 days ago · 3 km deep · 66 km away
  21. 3.01 km ENE of Aromas, California · 13544 days ago · 7 km deep · 72 km away
  22. 1.822 km ENE of Soledad, California · 13543 days ago · 4 km deep · 67 km away
  23. 1.513 km SSE of Davenport, California · 13540 days ago · 10 km deep · 78 km away
  24. 1.610 km ESE of Gilroy, California · 13540 days ago · 4 km deep · 85 km away
  25. 2.111 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 13539 days ago · 4 km deep · 65 km away
  26. 2.326 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 13539 days ago · 8 km deep · 73 km away
  27. 1.94 km E of San Juan Bautista, California · 13538 days ago · 9 km deep · 70 km away
  28. 1.720 km NW of San Simeon, California · 13538 days ago · 7 km deep · 67 km away
  29. 2.021 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California · 13534 days ago · 5 km deep · 64 km away
  30. 1.73 km S of San Juan Bautista, California · 13534 days ago · 6 km deep · 65 km away
  31. 2.47 km NE of Ridgemark, California · 13533 days ago · 6 km deep · 79 km away
  32. 2.17 km NE of Hollister, California · 13533 days ago · 4 km deep · 81 km away
  33. 1.94 km NE of Big Sur, California · 13532 days ago · 15 km deep · 4 km away
  34. 1.530 km WNW of Coalinga, California · 13531 days ago · 10 km deep · 99 km away
  35. 2.122 km NE of Soledad, California · 13530 days ago · 7 km deep · 66 km away
  36. 1.522 km NE of Soledad, California · 13530 days ago · 8 km deep · 66 km away
  37. 1.628 km SE of Big Sur, California · 13529 days ago · 7 km deep · 26 km away
  38. 2.221 km NE of Soledad, California · 13528 days ago · 5 km deep · 65 km away
  39. 1.936 km ENE of Soledad, California · 13528 days ago · 1 km deep · 81 km away
  40. 1.925 km NE of San Ardo, California · 13527 days ago · 0 km deep · 93 km away
  41. 1.57 km NNW of Hollister, California · 13527 days ago · 8 km deep · 80 km away
  42. 1.75 km WNW of San Juan Bautista, California · 13526 days ago · 6 km deep · 69 km away
  43. 2.26 km NE of San Martin, California · 13526 days ago · 6 km deep · 98 km away
  44. 2.18 km NNE of Interlaken, California · 13526 days ago · 8 km deep · 85 km away
  45. 1.87 km NE of Hollister, California · 13525 days ago · 5 km deep · 82 km away
  46. 1.525 km ENE of Greenfield, California · 13524 days ago · -1 km deep · 72 km away
  47. 2.228 km SE of Big Sur, California · 13524 days ago · 7 km deep · 26 km away
  48. 1.624 km NE of Greenfield, California · 13523 days ago · 5 km deep · 70 km away
  49. 2.221 km NE of Soledad, California · 13521 days ago · 5 km deep · 66 km away
  50. 2.011 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 13520 days ago · 4 km deep · 63 km away
  51. 1.64 km SSW of San Ardo, California · 13519 days ago · 4 km deep · 82 km away
  52. 2.327 km E of Tres Pinos, California · 13518 days ago · 1 km deep · 88 km away
  53. 3.225 km NE of Soledad, California · 13518 days ago · 9 km deep · 69 km away
  54. 1.66 km SSW of Ridgemark, California · 13517 days ago · 9 km deep · 66 km away
  55. 1.923 km NE of San Lucas, California · 13515 days ago · 7 km deep · 87 km away
  56. 2.06 km SE of Tres Pinos, California · 13515 days ago · 10 km deep · 72 km away
  57. 3.121 km NE of Soledad, California · 13515 days ago · 3 km deep · 66 km away
  58. 3.122 km NE of Soledad, California · 13515 days ago · 3 km deep · 66 km away
  59. 2.121 km NE of Soledad, California · 13515 days ago · 3 km deep · 66 km away
  60. 2.121 km NE of Soledad, California · 13515 days ago · 2 km deep · 65 km away

The first 60 of 195.

Before

  1. 2.227 km NE of Soledad, California · 13556 days ago · 6 km deep · 71 km away
  2. 2.57 km NE of Ridgemark, California · 13556 days ago · 6 km deep · 79 km away
  3. 1.9Central California · 13556 days ago · 6 km deep · 67 km away
  4. 2.17 km NE of Hollister, California · 13557 days ago · 6 km deep · 81 km away
  5. 2.411 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 13557 days ago · 5 km deep · 63 km away
  6. 1.723 km ENE of Soledad, California · 13557 days ago · 4 km deep · 68 km away
  7. 2.65 km SW of Gilroy, California · 13558 days ago · 6 km deep · 81 km away
  8. 2.421 km NNE of Soledad, California · 13560 days ago · 7 km deep · 64 km away
  9. 1.71 km ENE of Aromas, California · 13560 days ago · 5 km deep · 72 km away
  10. 1.87 km ENE of Gilroy, California · 13560 days ago · 6 km deep · 90 km away
  11. 1.924 km NE of Greenfield, California · 13560 days ago · 5 km deep · 70 km away
  12. 1.67 km SE of Big Sur, California · 13561 days ago · 16 km deep · 5 km away
  13. 2.121 km NE of Soledad, California · 13561 days ago · 4 km deep · 65 km away
  14. 1.77 km ENE of Lockwood, California · 13562 days ago · 4 km deep · 78 km away
  15. 1.77 km NE of Hollister, California · 13562 days ago · 7 km deep · 81 km away
  16. 1.67 km SE of Big Sur, California · 13562 days ago · 16 km deep · 5 km away
  17. 1.77 km ENE of Lockwood, California · 13562 days ago · 5 km deep · 78 km away
  18. 1.728 km SE of Big Sur, California · 13562 days ago · 11 km deep · 26 km away
  19. 1.527 km ENE of Soledad, California · 13563 days ago · 7 km deep · 72 km away
  20. 2.328 km SE of Big Sur, California · 13566 days ago · 12 km deep · 26 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc142829. Read Fri, Oct 2, 2026, 4:13 PM UTC.