QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.6ml

Earthquake near Santa Monica, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Santa Monica in the 24 hours to 5:09 am PST (13:09 UTC). The last one was M 3.2, 38 km (24 mi) SE, at 12:44 am PDT on 9 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 1,090 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Santa Monica

This page: a magnitude 1.6 earthquake was recorded in Santa Monica, CA, at 6:03 am PST on 5 March 2019 (14:03 UTC), 8.9 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 2km ESE of Santa Monica, CA

6 km (4 mi) W of Los Angeles, CA · in Santa Monica, CA

6:03 am PST, Mar 5, 2019 · · 8.9 km deep · released about 8.7 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Santa Monica Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Los Angeles County 28 kmVentura County 72 kmOrange County 74 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
6:03 am PST on 5 March 2019 ()
Where
in Santa Monica, CA · earthquakes near Santa Monica
Magnitude
M 1.6 (ml)
Depth
8.9 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity I
Nearest
Los Angeles County, 28 km NE
Nearest mapped fault
Santa Monica fault, 3 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 2808 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 8 km (5 mi) from the epicentre. 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: Santa Monica in town, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 8.7 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 1,700,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 1,200,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 110× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.6 about 8.7 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 23 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 6.7 Northridge, California, earthquake · 23 km NNW of this epicentre
  2. 6.6 1971 San Fernando Earthquake, California · 46 km NNE of this epicentre
  3. 5.9 The 1987 Whittier Narrows, California Earthquake · 37 km E of this epicentre
  4. 5.9 1km ENE of Granada Hills, California · 29 km N of this epicentre
  5. 5.8 10km SSW of Agua Dulce, CA · 46 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 34.0123, -118.4725. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Los Angeles County, CA 28 km (18 mi) NE earthquakes near Los Angeles County
Ventura County, CA 72 km (45 mi) WNW earthquakes near Ventura County
Orange County, CA 74 km (46 mi) ESE earthquakes near Orange County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.3 2km NE of Granada Hills, CA
  2. 2.2 3km N of East Los Angeles, CA
  3. 2.4 16km WNW of Malibu, CA
  4. 2.0 1km WNW of Redondo Beach, CA
  5. 2.2 9km NW of Malibu, CA
  6. 2.1 8km NW of Malibu, CA
  7. 2.0 9km NW of Malibu, CA
  8. 1.7 6km NNW of Pacoima, CA
  9. 2.1 14km SSE of Malibu Beach, CA
  10. 2.0 0km ESE of San Fernando, CA
  11. 1.7 6km NNW of Pacoima, CA
  12. 1.8 6km NNW of Pacoima, CA
  13. 2.5 5km NNW of Pacoima, CA
  14. 2.0 4km W of East Los Angeles, CA
  15. 2.6 2km NNE of Gardena, 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.