QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.6ml

Earthquake near Newport Beach, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Newport Beach in the 24 hours to 3:29 pm PST (23:29 UTC). The last one was M 3.2, 30 km (19 mi) NW, at 12:44 am PDT on 9 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 1,090 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Newport Beach

This page: a magnitude 2.6 earthquake was recorded 23 km (14 mi) south-southwest of Newport Beach, CA, at 11:48 am PDT on 16 October 2023 (18:48 UTC), less than 1 km deep. 2 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 23 km SSW of Newport Beach, CA

75 km (47 mi) SSE of Los Angeles, CA · 22 km (14 mi) SSW of Newport Beach, CA

11:48 am PDT, Oct 16, 2023 · · 1.0 km deep · released about 210 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Newport Beach Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Orange County 35 kmLos Angeles County 88 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
11:48 am PDT on 16 October 2023 ()
Where
23 km (14 mi) south-southwest of Newport Beach, CA · earthquakes near Newport Beach
Magnitude
M 2.6 (ml)
Depth
1.0 km below the surface
Felt
2 reports · strongest reported intensity I
Nearest
Orange County, 35 km NE
Nearest mapped fault
Palos Verdes fault, 2 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 1052 days ago

This was a small earthquake. Shaking like this is often felt indoors nearby and very rarely causes damage.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 23 km (14 mi) from the epicentre. In Newport Beach, 23 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: Newport Beach 23 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 210 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.6 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 72,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 51,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 4.6× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.6 about 210 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 4 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km:

  1. 6.4 The 1933 Long Beach, California Earthquake · 23 km N of this epicentre
  2. 5.3 7km W of Newport Beach, CA · 22 km N of this epicentre
  3. 5.1 The 1941 Torrance-Gardena, California Earthquakes (Second Event) · 46 km NNW of this epicentre
  4. 5.0 2km ENE of Westminster, CA · 38 km N 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 33.4285, -118.0187. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Orange County, CA 35 km (22 mi) NE earthquakes near Orange County
Los Angeles County, CA 88 km (55 mi) NNW earthquakes near Los Angeles County
San Diego County, CA 124 km (77 mi) ESE earthquakes near San Diego County
Ventura County, CA 146 km (91 mi) NW earthquakes near Ventura County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.5 31 km WSW of Camp Pendleton South, CA
  2. 2.0 43 km ENE of San Clemente Is. (SE tip), CA
  3. 1.6 43 km ENE of San Clemente Is. (SE tip), CA
  4. 2.0 42 km ENE of San Clemente Is. (SE tip), CA
  5. 2.6 42 km ENE of San Clemente Is. (SE tip), CA
  6. 2.0 19 km N of Avalon, CA
  7. 1.7 4 km N of Laguna Beach, CA
  8. 1.8 18 km S of San Pedro, CA
  9. 2.3 22 km SSW of San Pedro, CA
  10. 1.8 21 km S of San Pedro, CA
  11. 1.6 2 km WNW of Rossmoor, CA
  12. 2.0 4 km ENE of Seal Beach, CA
  13. 1.8 2 km WNW of Westminster, CA
  14. 1.6 4 km SE of Placentia, CA
  15. 1.9 2 km S of Orange, 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.