QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.9ml

Earthquake near Torrance, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Torrance in the 24 hours to 4:18 am PST (12:18 UTC). The last one was M 3.2, 15 km (10 mi) ESE, at 12:44 am PDT on 9 October 2026, estimated intensity III (weak) in town; 1,090 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Torrance

This page: a magnitude 1.9 earthquake was recorded 44 km (27 mi) west-southwest of Torrance, CA, at 5:41 pm PST on 8 December 2017 (01:41 UTC), 12 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 33km S of Malibu, CA

49 km (31 mi) SW of Los Angeles, CA · 39 km (24 mi) WSW of Redondo Beach, CA

5:41 pm PST, Dec 8, 2017 · · 12 km deep · released about 22 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Torrance Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Los Angeles County 73 kmVentura County 79 kmOrange County 94 km
Distance rings around the epicentre, with the nearest towns at their true direction and later quakes as coloured dots. Not a shaking map — see the USGS ShakeMap for that.
When
5:41 pm PST on 8 December 2017 ()
Where
44 km (27 mi) west-southwest of Torrance, CA · earthquakes near Torrance
Magnitude
M 1.9 (ml)
Depth
12 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
Los Angeles County, 73 km NE
Nearest mapped fault
Catalina fault, 13 km from its surface trace — near is not the same as on
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 3251 days ago

This was a minor earthquake. Quakes this small are rarely felt and do not cause damage.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 9 km (6 mi) from the epicentre. In Torrance, 44 km away, the estimate is intensity I (not felt). Estimated from magnitude, depth and distance with the intensity equation USGS Did You Feel It? uses; felt reports, where there are any, are the measurement.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 22 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.9 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 680,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 480,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 43× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.9 about 22 lb of TNT

Energy from the Gutenberg–Richter relation (log10E = 1.5M + 4.8), rounded to two figures; bar length is magnitude, which is already a logarithm of energy. Magnitudes of past earthquakes from the USGS catalogue.

For this area

No earthquake of M4 or more has been recorded within 50 km since our catalogue begins in 2016.

Before 2016, the USGS record lists 6 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 5.5 11km NNW of Santa Barbara Is., CA · 35 km WSW of this epicentre
  2. 5.3 2 km SSW of Santa Monica, California · 42 km NE of this epicentre
  3. 5.3 The 1973 Point Mugu, California Earthquake · 38 km NW of this epicentre
  4. 5.2 1 km SW of Las Flores, California · 38 km NNE of this epicentre
  5. 5.2 13km S of Malibu Beach, CA · 25 km NNE of this epicentre

Since 2016: the QuakeIndex catalogue (US, M1.5+), built from the USGS FDSN event service. Before 2016: USGS ComCat, M5+ from 1900. Distances are between epicentres. This is the record, not a forecast.

Where

Epicentre 33.7085, -118.7903. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Los Angeles County, CA 73 km (45 mi) NE earthquakes near Los Angeles County
Ventura County, CA 79 km (49 mi) NNW earthquakes near Ventura County
Orange County, CA 94 km (58 mi) E earthquakes near Orange County
Santa Barbara County, CA 147 km (91 mi) NW earthquakes near Santa Barbara County

Places and coordinates from the US Census Bureau Gazetteer (2024). Distances are from the epicentre.

Aftershocks so far

46 earthquakes have been recorded within 50 km since this one.

  1. 1.8 1km W of Manhattan Beach, CA
  2. 2.4 1km WSW of Manhattan Beach, CA
  3. 1.6 1km ENE of Lennox, CA
  4. 2.0 28km E of Santa Barbara Is., CA
  5. 1.5 4km SE of Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
  6. 1.7 18km S of Port Hueneme, CA
  7. 1.6 22km N of Avalon, CA
  8. 1.6 12km SW of Marina del Rey, CA
  9. 1.7 11km SW of Westlake Village, CA
  10. 2.0 4km SSW of Baldwin Hills, CA
  11. 2.1 12km WNW of Malibu, CA
  12. 1.8 1km NNW of Rolling Hills Estates, CA
  13. 2.0 26km S of Port Hueneme, CA
  14. 2.3 26km S of Port Hueneme, CA
  15. 2.5 9km WNW of Malibu, CA

Counted from the QuakeIndex database, which ingests the USGS feed every 30 seconds · as of . QuakeIndex does not forecast aftershocks. When USGS issues an operational aftershock forecast it appears on the USGS event page.

On USGS

QuakeIndex does not issue warnings. For earthquake early warning see ShakeAlert.