California earthquakes

M3.0 earthquake 2 km N of Corralitos, California

A magnitude 3.0 earthquake struck 2 km N of Corralitos, California on Wed, Oct 18, 1989, 4:30 AM PDT (11:30 UTC), 17 km (10 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M4.7 4 km NW of Day Valley, California. This one was a foreshock.

Corralitos 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
3.0 (Md, duration), micro
Magnitude from
Northern California Seismic System
Local time
UTC
1989-10-18 11:30:49 UTC
Depth
16.7 km (10.4 mi), shallow
Epicenter
37.008° N, 121.804° W
Tsunami flag
No
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

Magnitude estimates

Different scales measure different things and differ by a few tenths. The USGS marks one as preferred, and it is the one this page uses.

Mag.ScaleComputed byNotes
2.97Md, durationNorthern California Seismic SystemPreferred · Final · ±0.14 · 57 stations
2.9ML, local (Richter)USGS National Earthquake Information CenterReviewed

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, 0.4 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.14
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
57°
Stations used
47

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 202 in the 60 days after this one and 198 in the 30 days before it.

After

The first 60 of at least 202.

Before

Earthquakes todayCalifornia earthquakesLive radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc261776 (also filed as usp00040w4). Read Sun, Oct 4, 2026, 7:22 PM UTC.