Earthquake near Diablo, CA

Yes. A magnitude 2.6 earthquake was recorded 3 km (2 mi) S of Diablo, CA, at 3:28 am PDT on 13 August 2016 (10:28 UTC), 9.7 km deep. 38 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

This was on 13 August 2016. The latest near Diablo: M 3.0 on 14 September 2026.

USGS: 2 km S of Diablo, California

5 km (3 mi) NNW of San Ramon, CA · 41 km (26 mi) E of San Francisco, CA

3:28 am PDT, Aug 13, 2016 · 2016-08-13 10:28 UTC · 9.7 km deep · released about 230 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Diablo Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area

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: 3:28 am PDT on 13 August 2016 (2016-08-13 10:28 UTC)
Where: 3 km (2 mi) S of Diablo, CA · earthquakes near Diablo
Magnitude: M 2.6 (md)
Depth: 9.7 km below the surface
Felt: 38 reports · strongest reported intensity IV
Nearest: Contra Costa County, 12 km N
Nearest mapped fault: Pleasanton fault, 2 km from its surface trace — near is not the same as on
Status: Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS 3532 days ago · we first saw it 3532 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 21 km (13 mi) from the epicentre. In Diablo, 3 km away, the estimate is intensity III (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: Diablo 3 km, intensity III · San Ramon 4 km, intensity III · Blackhawk 4 km, intensity III · Danville 4 km, intensity III · Alamo 8 km, intensity II · Dublin 12 km, intensity II · Walnut Creek 15 km, intensity II · Clayton 15 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 230 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.

Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 65,000× the energy of this one
Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 46,000× the energy of this one
Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 4.1× the energy of this one
This earthquake M 2.6 about 230 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 7 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

5.8 The 1980 Livermore, California Earthquake · 17 km ENE of this epicentre Jan 24, 1980
5.7 15 km NE of East Foothills, California · 44 km SSE of this epicentre Mar 31, 1986
5.5 6 km NNE of East Foothills, California · 45 km SSE of this epicentre Oct 31, 2007
5.4 9 km NE of Livermore, California · 23 km ESE of this epicentre Jan 27, 1980
5.3 The 1957 San Francisco, California Earthquake · 49 km WSW of this epicentre Mar 22, 1957

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

Map loads when it scrolls into view

Nearby places

Place	Distance	Direction from the epicentre
Contra Costa County, CA	12 km (8 mi)	N	earthquakes near Contra Costa County
Alameda County, CA	18 km (11 mi)	S	earthquakes near Alameda County
Solano County, CA	51 km (32 mi)	N	earthquakes near Solano County
San Mateo County, CA	57 km (36 mi)	SW	earthquakes near San Mateo County
San Joaquin County, CA	61 km (38 mi)	ENE	earthquakes near San Joaquin County
Santa Clara County, CA	69 km (43 mi)	SSE	earthquakes near Santa Clara County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

1.6 10 km NNE of East Foothills, California 09:07 UTC
1.7 2 km NE of Pacifica, California 07:07 UTC
1.6 2 km NE of Pacifica, California 06:19 UTC
1.7 1 km SSE of East Richmond Heights, California 01:37 UTC
1.7 10 km SW of Brentwood, California 02:32 UTC
1.6 2 km NE of Pacifica, California 09:44 UTC
1.6 6 km SE of Sunol, California 06:50 UTC
1.5 2 km SSE of Pleasanton, California 02:02 UTC
1.6 9 km NNE of East Foothills, California 11:33 UTC
1.8 3 km W of Orinda, California 01:48 UTC
2.0 3 km W of Orinda, California 01:26 UTC
1.8 2 km NE of Pacifica, California 15:45 UTC
1.8 5 km ENE of Chinatown, California 18:22 UTC
1.5 2 km N of Piedmont, California 19:34 UTC
2.1 6 km S of Sunol, California 17:06 UTC

Counted from the QuakeIndex database, which ingests the USGS feed every 30 seconds · as of 10:01 UTC. QuakeIndex does not forecast aftershocks. When USGS issues an operational aftershock forecast it appears on the USGS event page.

On USGS

The official USGS event page — the source of record for every value above
Did you feel it? Report it to USGS — reports go to USGS, not to us
ShakeMap for this event, when USGS has produced one

QuakeIndex does not issue warnings. For earthquake early warning see ShakeAlert.