Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist
M 2.3ml
Earthquake near Escondido, CA
No earthquake was likely felt in Escondido in the 24 hours to 3:56 am PST (11:56 UTC). The last one was M 3.6, 51 km (32 mi) NE, at 12:31 am PDT on 19 August 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 165 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Escondido
This page: a magnitude 2.3 earthquake was recorded 13 km (8 mi) east-southeast of Escondido, CA, at 5:33 pm PDT on 21 March 2018 (00:33 UTC), 16 km deep. 160 people have reported feeling it to USGS.
USGS: 2km S of San Pasqual, CA
13 km (8 mi) ESE of Escondido, CA · 33 km (21 mi) NNE of San Diego, CA
- When
- 5:33 pm PDT on 21 March 2018 ()
- Where
- 13 km (8 mi) east-southeast of Escondido, CA · earthquakes near Escondido
- Magnitude
- M 2.3 (ml)
- Depth
- 16 km below the surface
- Felt
- 160 reports · strongest reported intensity III
- Nearest
- San Diego County, 18 km ESE
- Status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 3030 days ago
Earthquake alerts for Escondido, CA
Get a notification in this browser when USGS records an earthquake near Escondido, CA. No account or email needed.
Alerts are on for .
Not a warning. An alert comes after USGS publishes a quake, usually minutes after the shaking. For early warning use ShakeAlert, through your phone's Wireless Emergency Alerts or the MyShake app.
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 11 km (7 mi) from the epicentre. In Escondido, 13 km away, the estimate is intensity II (weak). 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.
Likely felt in: Ramona 9 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.
How big was it?
This earthquake released about 82 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.3 would have released about 32 times as much.
- Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 180,000× the energy of this one
- Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 130,000× the energy of this one
- Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 12× the energy of this one
- This earthquake M 2.3 about 82 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 one earthquake of M5 or more within 50 km:
- 5.0 16 km NW of Julian, California · 28 km ENE 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 33.0715, -116.9557. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Nearby places
| Place | Distance | Direction from the epicentre | |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego County, CA | 18 km (11 mi) | ESE | earthquakes near San Diego County |
| Orange County, CA | 102 km (63 mi) | NW | earthquakes near Orange County |
| Riverside County, CA | 115 km (71 mi) | NE | earthquakes near Riverside County |
Places and coordinates from the US Census Bureau Gazetteer (2024). Distances are from the epicentre.
Aftershocks so far
44 earthquakes have been recorded within 50 km since this one.
- 2.0 9km NE of Aguanga, CA
- 1.7 8km NE of Aguanga, CA
- 2.4 8km NE of Aguanga, CA
- 2.7 8km NE of Aguanga, CA
- 1.6 9km E of Pala, CA
- 2.0 4km W of Palomar Observatory, CA
- 1.6 9km NE of Aguanga, CA
- 1.5 9km NE of Aguanga, CA
- 1.8 11km ENE of Aguanga, CA
- 1.8 8km NE of Aguanga, CA
- 1.5 10km ENE of Aguanga, CA
- 2.5 8km NE of Aguanga, CA
- 2.9 8km NE of Aguanga, CA
- 1.8 14km NE of Julian, CA
- 1.6 6km NNW of Lakeside, 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
- The official USGS event page — the source of record for every value above
- Did you feel it? Report it to USGS — reports go to USGS, not to us
- ShakeMap for this event, when USGS has produced one
QuakeIndex does not issue warnings. For earthquake early warning see ShakeAlert.