California earthquakes

M1.5 earthquake Northern California

A magnitude 1.5 earthquake struck in Northern California on Tue, Aug 21, 1990, 9:54 AM PDT (16:54 UTC), 15 km (10 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M3.6 7 km WSW of Monte Sereno, California. This one was a foreshock.

Pescadero 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
1990-08-21 16:54:32 UTC
Depth
15.3 km (9.5 mi), shallow
Epicenter
37.160° N, 122.351° 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 1.3 km horizontally, 1.2 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.11
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
223°, poorly surrounded by stations
Stations used
16

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 170 in the 60 days after this one and 72 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 2.2Northern California · 13193 days ago · 10 km deep · 89 km away
  2. 2.41 km E of North Gate, California · 13192 days ago · 11 km deep · 89 km away
  3. 2.02 km NNE of Corralitos, California · 13192 days ago · 14 km deep · 52 km away
  4. 1.911 km N of Boulder Creek, California · 13192 days ago · 10 km deep · 20 km away
  5. 2.66 km ENE of Corralitos, California · 13192 days ago · 7 km deep · 56 km away
  6. 2.45 km NE of Amesti, California · 13192 days ago · 8 km deep · 57 km away
  7. 1.54 km WSW of Ridgemark, California · 13192 days ago · 5 km deep · 92 km away
  8. 1.614 km ENE of East Foothills, California · 13192 days ago · 4 km deep · 67 km away
  9. 1.95 km WNW of San Juan Bautista, California · 13192 days ago · 7 km deep · 75 km away
  10. 1.57 km WSW of Monte Sereno, California · 13191 days ago · 12 km deep · 26 km away
  11. 3.67 km WSW of Monte Sereno, California · 13191 days ago · 13 km deep · 26 km away
  12. 1.96 km WSW of Monte Sereno, California · 13191 days ago · 12 km deep · 26 km away
  13. 1.66 km NE of East Foothills, California · 13191 days ago · 7 km deep · 59 km away
  14. 2.02 km N of Scotts Valley, California · 13191 days ago · 11 km deep · 31 km away
  15. 1.9Northern California · 13190 days ago · 6 km deep · 61 km away
  16. 1.910 km S of Muir Beach, California · 13189 days ago · 2 km deep · 71 km away
  17. 1.514 km SSE of Davenport, California · 13189 days ago · 6 km deep · 36 km away
  18. 1.65 km ESE of Clayton, California · 13189 days ago · 16 km deep · 94 km away
  19. 1.74 km E of Interlaken, California · 13189 days ago · 9 km deep · 63 km away
  20. 3.32 km E of Berkeley, California · 13189 days ago · 7 km deep · 79 km away
  21. 3.33 km NW of Day Valley, California · 13189 days ago · 6 km deep · 43 km away
  22. 1.90 km WSW of Diablo, California · 13188 days ago · 15 km deep · 82 km away
  23. 1.51 km ESE of Aromas, California · 13188 days ago · 8 km deep · 71 km away
  24. 2.04 km E of Day Valley, California · 13188 days ago · 11 km deep · 50 km away
  25. 2.01 km ESE of Aromas, California · 13188 days ago · 8 km deep · 71 km away
  26. 1.61 km NE of Aromas, California · 13187 days ago · 5 km deep · 70 km away
  27. 1.87 km WNW of Lexington Hills, California · 13187 days ago · 14 km deep · 27 km away
  28. 1.917 km S of Pescadero, California · 13187 days ago · 7 km deep · 7 km away
  29. 2.86 km WSW of Monte Sereno, California · 13186 days ago · 12 km deep · 26 km away
  30. 1.56 km N of Tres Pinos, California · 13186 days ago · 6 km deep · 99 km away
  31. 1.97 km NW of Day Valley, California · 13185 days ago · 11 km deep · 39 km away
  32. 2.113 km WNW of Davenport, California · 13185 days ago · 11 km deep · 13 km away
  33. 2.46 km SSW of Saratoga, California · 13185 days ago · 12 km deep · 26 km away
  34. 1.68 km N of East Foothills, California · 13185 days ago · 6 km deep · 59 km away
  35. 2.2Northern California · 13183 days ago · 10 km deep · 63 km away
  36. 1.56 km NE of Ridgemark, California · 13182 days ago · 7 km deep · 98 km away
  37. 1.85 km NW of Day Valley, California · 13182 days ago · 13 km deep · 41 km away
  38. 2.113 km WNW of Davenport, California · 13182 days ago · 10 km deep · 13 km away
  39. 2.26 km NE of Ridgemark, California · 13182 days ago · 6 km deep · 98 km away
  40. 2.9Central California · 13182 days ago · 9 km deep · 87 km away
  41. 1.63 km ESE of Lexington Hills, California · 13182 days ago · 4 km deep · 37 km away
  42. 1.614 km E of Seven Trees, California · 13180 days ago · 1 km deep · 62 km away
  43. 2.15 km NNE of Corralitos, California · 13179 days ago · 11 km deep · 52 km away
  44. 2.04 km S of San Juan Bautista, California · 13179 days ago · 7 km deep · 83 km away
  45. 1.56 km ENE of Corralitos, California · 13179 days ago · 7 km deep · 56 km away
  46. 1.82 km N of Seacliff, California · 13178 days ago · 4 km deep · 42 km away
  47. 1.72 km N of Seacliff, California · 13178 days ago · 4 km deep · 42 km away
  48. 1.87 km E of East Foothills, California · 13178 days ago · 9 km deep · 60 km away
  49. 1.67 km E of East Foothills, California · 13178 days ago · 9 km deep · 60 km away
  50. 2.26 km E of East Foothills, California · 13178 days ago · 9 km deep · 60 km away
  51. 2.83 km WSW of San Juan Bautista, California · 13178 days ago · 6 km deep · 78 km away
  52. 2.74 km ESE of Aromas, California · 13178 days ago · 6 km deep · 74 km away
  53. 1.62 km SW of Bay Point, California · 13178 days ago · 7 km deep · 100 km away
  54. 2.12 km WSW of San Juan Bautista, California · 13177 days ago · 7 km deep · 78 km away
  55. 1.88 km SSW of Ridgemark, California · 13177 days ago · 7 km deep · 96 km away
  56. 2.82 km SW of Hollister, California · 13176 days ago · 7 km deep · 90 km away
  57. 2.5Northern California · 13176 days ago · 5 km deep · 60 km away
  58. 2.25 km SE of Sunol, California · 13176 days ago · 6 km deep · 62 km away
  59. 2.53 km W of San Juan Bautista, California · 13175 days ago · 5 km deep · 77 km away
  60. 1.76 km SSE of Gilroy, California · 13175 days ago · 5 km deep · 75 km away

The first 60 of 170.

Before

  1. 1.510 km SSE of Pescadero, California · 13193 days ago · 14 km deep · 0 km away
  2. 1.611 km S of Pescadero, California · 13193 days ago · 14 km deep · 1 km away
  3. 2.210 km SSE of Pescadero, California · 13193 days ago · 15 km deep · 1 km away
  4. 2.110 km SSE of Pescadero, California · 13193 days ago · 14 km deep · 0 km away
  5. 1.68 km NE of San Martin, California · 13193 days ago · 7 km deep · 73 km away
  6. 2.24 km SSW of Port Costa, California · 13193 days ago · 11 km deep · 96 km away
  7. 2.94 km SE of Aromas, California · 13193 days ago · 7 km deep · 74 km away
  8. 1.63 km N of San Leandro, California · 13194 days ago · 11 km deep · 69 km away
  9. 3.11 km ESE of Aromas, California · 13194 days ago · 9 km deep · 71 km away
  10. 1.55 km WNW of San Juan Bautista, California · 13194 days ago · 6 km deep · 75 km away
  11. 1.81 km ENE of Lafayette, California · 13194 days ago · 15 km deep · 84 km away
  12. 1.64 km ESE of Interlaken, California · 13195 days ago · 12 km deep · 64 km away
  13. 1.511 km ESE of Alum Rock, California · 13195 days ago · 0 km deep · 59 km away
  14. 3.715 km E of Seven Trees, California · 13197 days ago · 7 km deep · 62 km away
  15. 1.62 km ENE of Union City, California · 13198 days ago · 5 km deep · 59 km away
  16. 2.63 km ENE of Interlaken, California · 13199 days ago · 8 km deep · 62 km away
  17. 1.87 km NE of Gilroy, California · 13199 days ago · 3 km deep · 76 km away
  18. 1.76 km WNW of Broadmoor, California · 13200 days ago · 3 km deep · 65 km away
  19. 3.02 km NE of Union City, California · 13200 days ago · 6 km deep · 59 km away
  20. 2.24 km ESE of Interlaken, California · 13202 days ago · 11 km deep · 64 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc163003. Read Sun, Oct 4, 2026, 8:18 AM UTC.