QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.6ml

Earthquake near Yorba Linda, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Yorba Linda in the 24 hours to 9:49 pm PST (05:49 UTC). The last one was M 1.8, 5 km (3 mi) ESE, at 9:16 pm PST on 3 November 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Yorba Linda

This page: a magnitude 1.6 earthquake was recorded 4 km (2 mi) south-southwest of Yorba Linda, CA, at 11:34 am PDT on 31 October 2017 (18:34 UTC), 5.8 km deep.

USGS: 4km SSW of Yorba Linda, CA

in Placentia, CA · 57 km (35 mi) ESE of Los Angeles, CA

11:34 am PDT, Oct 31, 2017 · · 5.8 km deep · released about 8.1 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Yorba Linda Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Orange County 21 kmLos Angeles County 55 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
11:34 am PDT on 31 October 2017 ()
Where
4 km (2 mi) south-southwest of Yorba Linda, CA · earthquakes near Yorba Linda
Magnitude
M 1.6 (ml)
Depth
5.8 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Orange County, 21 km SSE
Nearest mapped fault
Puente Hills blind thrust system, 6 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 3298 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 10 km (6 mi) from the epicentre. In Yorba Linda, 4 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: Yorba Linda 4 km, intensity II · Placentia 4 km, intensity II · Orange 8 km, intensity II · Anaheim 8 km, intensity II · Fullerton 9 km, intensity II · Brea 10 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 8.1 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.6 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 1,900,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 1,300,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 120× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.6 about 8.1 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 16 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 6.4 The 1933 Long Beach, California Earthquake · 30 km SSW of this epicentre
  2. 6.0 The 1910 Lake Elsinore, California Earthquake · 43 km ESE of this epicentre
  3. 5.9 The 1987 Whittier Narrows, California Earthquake · 33 km NW of this epicentre
  4. 5.8 The 1991 Sierra Madre, California Earthquake · 49 km NNW of this epicentre
  5. 5.5 The 1990 Upland, California Earthquake · 34 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 33.8558, -117.8277. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Orange County, CA 21 km (13 mi) SSE earthquakes near Orange County
Los Angeles County, CA 55 km (34 mi) NW earthquakes near Los Angeles County
San Diego County, CA 134 km (84 mi) SE earthquakes near San Diego County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.3 4km N of Norco, CA
  2. 1.5 5km NNW of Lake Elsinore, CA
  3. 1.6 3km N of Monrovia, CA
  4. 1.9 13km NE of Trabuco Canyon, CA
  5. 1.7 5km WNW of Fontana, CA
  6. 1.8 12km NE of Trabuco Canyon, CA
  7. 3.1 13km NE of Trabuco Canyon, CA
  8. 1.7 12km NE of Trabuco Canyon, CA
  9. 1.6 13km NE of Trabuco Canyon, CA
  10. 1.6 12km NE of Trabuco Canyon, CA
  11. 2.1 12km NE of Trabuco Canyon, CA
  12. 1.9 13km NE of Trabuco Canyon, CA
  13. 4.0 12km NE of Trabuco Canyon, CA
  14. 1.6 4km WNW of La Mirada, CA
  15. 1.6 3km S of South Whittier, 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.