QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.6md

Earthquake near Mendota, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Mendota in the 24 hours to 8:13 pm PST (04:13 UTC). The last one was M 3.9, 74 km (46 mi) WSW, at 3:19 am PDT on 11 August 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 34 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Mendota

This page: a magnitude 2.6 earthquake was recorded 30 km (19 mi) south-southwest of Mendota, CA, at 1:04 pm PDT on 7 July 2017 (20:04 UTC), 8.1 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 8 km W of Three Rocks, California

69 km (43 mi) WSW of Fresno, CA

1:04 pm PDT, Jul 7, 2017 · · 8.1 km deep · released about 210 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N San Benito County 55 kmKings County 76 kmFresno County 79 kmMonterey County 80 kmMerced County 81 kmMadera County 103 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
1:04 pm PDT on 7 July 2017 ()
Where
30 km (19 mi) south-southwest of Mendota, CA · earthquakes near Mendota
Magnitude
M 2.6 (md)
Depth
8.1 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
San Benito County, 55 km WNW
Nearest mapped fault
Great Valley thrust fault system, 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 3405 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 Mendota, 30 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.

Earthquakes near other towns within 30 km: San Joaquin.

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 14 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 6.7 The 1983 Coalinga, California Earthquake · 33 km SSE of this epicentre
  2. 6.1 Northwest of Huron, California · 11 km W of this epicentre
  3. 5.8 29 km NE of San Lucas, California · 34 km SW of this epicentre
  4. 5.6 8 km SW of Huron, California · 49 km SE of this epicentre
  5. 5.5 11 km NNE of Coalinga, California · 34 km SSE 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 36.4962, -120.4820. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
San Benito County, CA 55 km (34 mi) WNW earthquakes near San Benito County
Kings County, CA 76 km (47 mi) SE earthquakes near Kings County
Fresno County, CA 79 km (49 mi) ENE earthquakes near Fresno County
Monterey County, CA 80 km (50 mi) WSW earthquakes near Monterey County
Merced County, CA 81 km (50 mi) NNW earthquakes near Merced County
Madera County, CA 103 km (64 mi) NE earthquakes near Madera County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.7 27 km SW of South Dos Palos, California
  2. 2.3 11 km E of Coalinga, California
  3. 1.6 23 km ENE of San Lucas, California
  4. 2.0 23 km ENE of San Lucas, California
  5. 1.5 22 km ENE of San Lucas, California
  6. 1.9 25 km ENE of Greenfield, California
  7. 1.9 22 km NE of San Lucas, California
  8. 1.6 24 km NE of King City, California
  9. 1.5 34 km NE of King City, California
  10. 2.0 18 km S of Three Rocks, CA
  11. 2.0 24 km NE of King City, California
  12. 2.1 9 km N of Huron, California
  13. 1.9 7 km E of Coalinga, California
  14. 1.7 34 km NE of King City, California
  15. 1.8 Central 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.