QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.9md

Earthquake near Soledad, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Soledad in the 24 hours to 10:45 pm PST (06:45 UTC). The last one was M 3.0, 26 km (16 mi) N, at 2:58 pm PDT on 22 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Soledad

This page: a magnitude 2.9 earthquake was recorded 25 km (16 mi) northeast of Soledad, CA, at 8:17 pm PDT on 1 July 2017 (03:17 UTC), 8.7 km deep. 4 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 25 km NE of Soledad, California

98 km (61 mi) SE of San Jose, CA · 46 km (28 mi) ESE of Salinas, CA

8:17 pm PDT, Jul 1, 2017 · · 8.7 km deep · released about 590 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N San Benito County 5 kmMonterey County 43 kmMerced County 76 kmSanta Clara County 85 kmSanta Cruz County 90 kmStanislaus County 108 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
8:17 pm PDT on 1 July 2017 ()
Where
25 km (16 mi) northeast of Soledad, CA · earthquakes near Soledad
Magnitude
M 2.9 (md)
Depth
8.7 km below the surface
Felt
4 reports · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
San Benito County, 5 km ENE
Nearest mapped fault
San Andreas 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 3416 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 29 km (18 mi) from the epicentre. In Soledad, 25 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: Soledad 25 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 590 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.9 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 26,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 18,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 1.6× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.9 about 590 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

The largest earthquake within 50 km since 2016 was M 4.2 on 2016-07-19 — about 110 times the energy of this one.

Before 2016, the USGS record lists 18 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 6.1 Northwest of Huron, California · 49 km ESE of this epicentre
  2. 5.9 10 km SE of Tres Pinos, California · 17 km NNW of this epicentre
  3. 5.8 Near Paicines, California · 13 km NW of this epicentre
  4. 5.8 29 km NE of San Lucas, California · 46 km SE of this epicentre
  5. 5.5 7 km SW of Hollister, California · 36 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 36.5950, -121.1375. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
San Benito County, CA 5 km (3 mi) ENE earthquakes near San Benito County
Monterey County, CA 43 km (26 mi) SSW earthquakes near Monterey County
Merced County, CA 76 km (47 mi) NNE earthquakes near Merced County
Santa Clara County, CA 85 km (53 mi) NW earthquakes near Santa Clara County
Santa Cruz County, CA 90 km (56 mi) WNW earthquakes near Santa Cruz County
Stanislaus County, CA 108 km (67 mi) N earthquakes near Stanislaus County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.0 24 km NE of Soledad, California
  2. 1.6 24 km NE of Soledad, California
  3. 1.6 17 km SSE of Tres Pinos, California
  4. 1.6 24 km ENE of Greenfield, California
  5. 2.2 2 km SSW of San Juan Bautista, California
  6. 2.8 2 km SSW of San Juan Bautista, California
  7. 2.3 24 km NE of San Lucas, California
  8. 2.4 31 km SSW of Los Banos, California
  9. 1.7 25 km ENE of Soledad, California
  10. 1.6 5 km SW of Ridgemark, California
  11. 2.0 11 km S of Tres Pinos, California
  12. 2.3 4 km S of San Juan Bautista, California
  13. 2.1 22 km NE of Soledad, California
  14. 1.8 23 km ENE of Soledad, California
  15. 1.7 25 km NE of San Lucas, 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.