QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.3md

Earthquake near Gilroy, CA

Yes. A magnitude 2.3 earthquake was recorded 9 km (6 mi) E of Gilroy, CA, at 11:31 pm PDT on 15 July 2016 (06:31 UTC), 3.6 km deep. 4 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

This was on 15 July 2016. The latest near Gilroy: M 2.6 on 23 September 2026.

USGS: 9 km E of Gilroy, California

11 km (7 mi) E of Gilroy, CA · 45 km (28 mi) SE of San Jose, CA

11:31 pm PDT, Jul 15, 2016 · · 3.6 km deep · released about 72 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Gilroy Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Santa Clara County 32 kmSanta Cruz County 48 kmSan Benito County 55 kmMerced County 69 kmStanislaus County 74 kmAlameda County 82 kmMonterey County 86 kmSan Mateo County 93 kmSan Joaquin County 105 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
11:31 pm PDT on 15 July 2016 ()
Where
9 km (6 mi) E of Gilroy, CA · earthquakes near Gilroy
Magnitude
M 2.3 (md)
Depth
3.6 km below the surface
Felt
4 reports · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
Santa Clara County, 32 km NW
Nearest mapped fault
Calaveras 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 1532 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 19 km (12 mi) from the epicentre. In Gilroy, 9 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: Gilroy 9 km, intensity II · San Martin 16 km, intensity II · Hollister 18 km, intensity II · San Juan Bautista 19 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 72 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.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 210,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 150,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 13× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.3 about 72 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 26 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 6.9 The 1989 Loma Prieta, California Earthquake · 37 km W of this epicentre
  2. 6.5 Near Morgan Hill, California · 20 km NW of this epicentre
  3. 6.2 Near San Jose, California · 45 km NW of this epicentre
  4. 6.2 The 1984 Morgan Hill, California Earthquake · 39 km NNW of this epicentre
  5. 6.1 Near San Jose, California · 37 km NW 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 37.0027, -121.4638. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Santa Clara County, CA 32 km (20 mi) NW earthquakes near Santa Clara County
Santa Cruz County, CA 48 km (30 mi) W earthquakes near Santa Cruz County
San Benito County, CA 55 km (34 mi) SE earthquakes near San Benito County
Merced County, CA 69 km (43 mi) ENE earthquakes near Merced County
Stanislaus County, CA 74 km (46 mi) NNE earthquakes near Stanislaus County
Alameda County, CA 82 km (51 mi) NNW earthquakes near Alameda County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.2 11 km S of Tres Pinos, California
  2. 1.9 3 km S of San Juan Bautista, California
  3. 2.1 16 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California
  4. 1.8 10 km S of Tres Pinos, California
  5. 2.2 25 km WSW of Volta, California
  6. 1.6 13 km S of Tres Pinos, California
  7. 1.9 7 km WSW of Gilroy, California
  8. 2.1 9 km E of Gilroy, California
  9. 1.8 10 km S of Tres Pinos, California
  10. 1.7 Central California
  11. 1.7 3 km W of San Juan Bautista, California
  12. 3.0 18 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California
  13. 2.9 13 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California
  14. 2.4 10 km S of Tres Pinos, California
  15. 1.8 8 km ENE of Morgan Hill, California

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.