QuakeIndex

Fault · California

Great Valley thrust fault system

459 kmlong (285 mi), as mapped
1–5 mm/yrhow fast it slips
last 150 yearssince it last broke the surface
141quakes of M2.5+ within 10 km since 2016

In plain English

The two sides move 1 to 5 mm a year — 10 to 50 cm (4 to 20 inches) every century.

It has broken the ground surface within the last 150 years.

The largest earthquake recorded near it was M 6.6 in 1892 (Near Vacaville, California) — about 250,000 times the energy of an M3.0, the size people start to feel. It released about 120 kilotons of TNT.

USGS maps it as 12 sections: Coalinga (GV 13) section, Great Valley 01 section, Great Valley 02 section, Great Valley 11 section, Great Valley 12 section, Kettleman Hills-North Dome (GV 14) section, Laguna Seca (GV 09) section, Mysterious Ridge (Great Valley 03) section….

This week vs. its last ten years

0/100

quiet

0 quakes of M1.5+ within 5 km of the trace in the last 7 days — busier than 0% of weeks since 2016. A normal week: 0–1.

Computed from the USGS catalogue · a description of the past, not a forecast · method

San Andreas faultSan Gregorio faultGarlock faultFoothills fault systemBartlett Springs fault systemMaacama faultCalaveras faultSanta Ynez faultHosgri faultWassuk Range faultPitas Point faultHayward faultHoney Lake faultGreenville faultSmith Valley faultMonterey Bay- Tularcitos faultZayante-Vergeles faultSurprise Valley faultMission Ridge fault systemMohawk Valley faultSan Juan faultCarson lineamentOrtigalita faultWarm Springs Valley faultBlack Rock faultLos Osos faultHat Creek faultMcArthur faultTahoe-Sierra frontal faultHunting Creek-Berryessa fault systemOak Ridge faultRodgers Creek faultBonham Ranch faultSargent faultWest Tahoe-Dollar Point faultAntelope Valley faultGranite Springs Valley faultPyramid Lake faultUpper Long Valley faultDry Valley-Smoke Creek Ranch faultEast Carson Valley faultMonte Vista-Shannon faultButano faultHot Springs Mountains faultWest Napa faultSan Cayetano faultAlmanor faultBennett Valley faultGreen Valley faultMount Rose faultPleito faultAlexander-Redwood Hill faultPittville faultSilver Lake faultDog Valley faultMayfield faultFox Range faultHilton Creek faultPolaris faultWheeler Ridge faultLos Alamos faultPfeiffer Point faultNorth Tahoe faultEast Monterey Bay faultGenoa faultQuien Sabe faultHartley Springs faultMono Lake faultSpanish Springs Valley faultKonocti Bay faultPiedras Blancas blind faultConcord faultIncline Village faultPleasanton faultRobinson Creek faultSan Simeon faultCordelia faultKumiva Valley faultOlinghouse faultRocky Ledge faultFort Sage faultLittle Valley faultBig Valley faultCarson City faultGerlach faultKings Canyon faultPeavine Peak faultWest Walker River faultIndian Valley faultSerra faultTres Pinos faultCorral Hollow-Carnegie faultLas Positas faultTerraced Hills faultNorthern Virginia Range faultIsla Vista faultKern Front faultNew Hope fault M 6.6 · 1892 · Near Vacaville, California M 6.4 · 1892 · Near Winters, California M 6.3 · 1881 · Southwest of Modesto, California M 6.1 · 1905 · Northwest of Huron, California M 6.0 · 1866 · Southwest of Stockton, California M 6.0 · 1889 · North of Antioch, California
The Great Valley thrust fault system as mapped at the surface (glowing), with the other mapped faults nearby, 141 of the M2.5+ earthquakes within 10 km of it since 2016 (dots), and the epicentres of the large historic earthquakes recorded near it (rings). Traces: USGS Quaternary Fault and Fold Database. Historic epicentres are estimates.

Every year since 2016

Earthquakes of M2.5+ with an epicentre within 10 km of the mapped trace. Near is not the same as on: some will have slipped on neighbouring faults.

The big ones recorded near it

  1. M 6.6 Near Vacaville, California
    April 19, 1892 · epicentre on the trace
  2. M 6.4 Near Winters, California
    April 21, 1892 · epicentre 9 km from the trace
  3. M 6.3 Southwest of Modesto, California
    April 10, 1881 · epicentre 17 km from the trace
  4. M 6.1 Northwest of Huron, California
    May 26, 1905 · epicentre 9 km from the trace
  5. M 6.0 Southwest of Stockton, California
    July 15, 1866 · epicentre 5 km from the trace
  6. M 6.0 North of Antioch, California
    May 19, 1889 · epicentre 25 km from the trace
  7. M 4.5 15 km SW of Westley, CA
    September 19, 2023 · epicentre 10 km from the trace
  8. M 4.3 10 km NNW of Avenal, CA
    February 14, 2025 · epicentre 7 km from the trace

Before 1973 from the USGS ComCat historical catalogue (within 25 km; epicentres of old earthquakes are estimates). Since 2016, M4+ within 10 km.

Most recent near it

  1. M 3.3 10 km NNE of Kettleman City, CA
    2026-08-04 · 8 km from the trace
  2. M 2.5 13 km SSW of Cantua Creek, CA
    2026-07-12 · 0 km from the trace
  3. M 2.9 1 km ENE of Huron, CA
    2026-06-21 · 6 km from the trace
  4. M 3.1 1 km ENE of Huron, CA
    2026-06-21 · 6 km from the trace
  5. M 2.5 20 km SW of Gustine, CA
    2026-03-16 · 10 km from the trace
  6. M 2.7 3 km WSW of Huron, CA
    2026-03-14 · 2 km from the trace

Neighbouring faults

Fault trace, slip rate and age: USGS Quaternary Fault and Fold Database (public domain), simplified for the web. Earthquakes: USGS ComCat. QuakeIndex does not forecast earthquakes; a fault's history describes the past. For early warning use ShakeAlert.