QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.8ml

Earthquake near Bodfish, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Bodfish in the 24 hours to 6:16 am PST (14:16 UTC). The last one was M 1.7, 10 km (6 mi) SSW, at 3:38 pm PDT on 30 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Bodfish

This page: a magnitude 1.8 earthquake was recorded 12 km (7 mi) southwest of Bodfish, CA, at 3:49 am PDT on 23 July 2018 (10:49 UTC), 4.0 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 12km SW of Bodfish, CA

45 km (28 mi) ENE of Bakersfield, CA

3:49 am PDT, Jul 23, 2018 · · 4.0 km deep · released about 16 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Kern County 23 kmTulare County 81 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
3:49 am PDT on 23 July 2018 ()
Where
12 km (7 mi) southwest of Bodfish, CA · earthquakes near Bodfish
Magnitude
M 1.8 (ml)
Depth
4.0 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Kern County, 23 km SW
Nearest mapped fault
Kern Canyon fault, 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 3030 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 13 km (8 mi) from the epicentre. In Bodfish, 12 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: Bodfish 12 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 16 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.8 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 970,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 680,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 61× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.8 about 16 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 15 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 5.8 Near Bakersfield, California · 31 km SW of this epicentre
  2. 5.7 11km N of Lamont, CA · 33 km WSW of this epicentre
  3. 5.6 19km N of Tehachapi, CA · 26 km SSE of this epicentre
  4. 5.6 14km NNW of Tehachapi, CA · 31 km SSE of this epicentre
  5. 5.5 6km SSE of Arvin, CA · 43 km SSW 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 35.5162, -118.5892. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Kern County, CA 23 km (14 mi) SW earthquakes near Kern County
Tulare County, CA 81 km (50 mi) NNW earthquakes near Tulare County
Kings County, CA 127 km (79 mi) WNW earthquakes near Kings County
Inyo County, CA 158 km (98 mi) NE earthquakes near Inyo 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. 1.6 16km NNE of Kernville, CA
  2. 1.8 22km SSW of Bodfish, CA
  3. 1.8 20km SSE of Bodfish, CA
  4. 1.6 14km S of Bodfish, CA
  5. 1.7 22km ESE of Bodfish, CA
  6. 1.6 17km ESE of Arvin, CA
  7. 2.5 23km NW of Tehachapi, CA
  8. 1.9 23km NNW of Tehachapi, CA
  9. 1.6 21km NNW of Tehachapi, CA
  10. 1.5 21km SE of Bodfish, CA
  11. 1.7 15km SSE of Bodfish, CA
  12. 3.0 5km WNW of Arvin, CA
  13. 1.8 21km NNW of Tehachapi, CA
  14. 1.7 21km NNW of Tehachapi, CA
  15. 1.6 12km SW of Bodfish, 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.