California earthquakes

M2.9 earthquake 11km S of Malibu Beach, CA

A magnitude 2.9 earthquake struck 11km S of Malibu Beach, CA on Mon, May 31, 2021, 7:03 AM PDT (14:03 UTC), 14 km (8 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M3.2 4km NNE of El Segundo, CA. This one was a foreshock.

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Map

Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

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The earthquake

Magnitude: 2.9 (ML, local (Richter)), micro
Magnitude from: Southern California Seismic Network
Local time: Mon, May 31, 2021, 7:03 AM PDT
UTC: 2021-05-31 14:03:38 UTC
Depth: 13.5 km (8.4 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 33.937° N, 118.668° W
Region: California
Felt reports: 109
Strongest shaking: III, weak shaking
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.	Scale	Computed by	Notes
2.89	ML, local (Richter)	Southern California Seismic Network	Preferred · Final · ±0.161 · 191 stations
2.6	ML, local (Richter)	USGS National Earthquake Information Center	Reviewed · ±0.04 · 82 stations

Shaking

The USGS ShakeMap: shaking estimated from seismic stations and the quake’s size, on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale.

Strongest estimated: III, weak shaking
Peak ground acceleration: 0.4% of gravity
Peak ground velocity: -2.2 cm/s
Map: Automatic

USGS ShakeMap: estimated shaking intensity around the epicenter — Estimated shaking intensity. Map: USGS ShakeMap.

Did you feel it?

109 people reported to the USGS what they felt; the strongest reported shaking was III, weak shaking.

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Location uncertainty: About 0.2 km horizontally, 0.4 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty: ±0.16
Depth from: From location
Station coverage gap: 84°
Stations used: 105

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 55 in the 60 days after this one and 32 in the 30 days before it.

After

Before

Earthquakes today California earthquakes Live radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event ci39911368 (also filed as ci39911360, us6000egar). Read Sun, Oct 4, 2026, 1:10 AM UTC.