QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.6md

Earthquake near Coalinga, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Coalinga in the 24 hours to 9:39 am PST (17:39 UTC). The last one was M 2.3, 4 km (3 mi) SE, at 1:44 am PDT on 4 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Coalinga

This page: a magnitude 1.6 earthquake was recorded 14 km (8 mi) north-northwest of Coalinga, CA, at 2:50 am PDT on 3 August 2017 (09:50 UTC), 6.4 km deep.

USGS: 13 km NNW of Coalinga, California

83 km (51 mi) SW of Fresno, CA

2:50 am PDT, Aug 3, 2017 · · 6.4 km deep · released about 7.8 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Coalinga Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Kings County 59 kmSan Benito County 71 kmMonterey County 79 kmFresno County 90 kmSan Luis Obispo County 96 kmMerced 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
2:50 am PDT on 3 August 2017 ()
Where
14 km (8 mi) north-northwest of Coalinga, CA · earthquakes near Coalinga
Magnitude
M 1.6 (md)
Depth
6.4 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Kings County, 59 km ESE
Nearest mapped fault
Great Valley thrust fault system, 13 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 3378 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 9 km (6 mi) from the epicentre. In Coalinga, 14 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.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 7.8 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.6 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 1,900,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 1,400,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 120× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.6 about 7.8 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 19 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 6.7 The 1983 Coalinga, California Earthquake · 11 km E of this epicentre
  2. 6.4 1901 Parkfield, California Earthquake · 28 km SSW of this epicentre
  3. 6.1 Northwest of Huron, California · 32 km NNW of this epicentre
  4. 6.0 2004 Parkfield, California Earthquake · 48 km S of this epicentre
  5. 5.8 29 km NE of San Lucas, California · 31 km W 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 36.2475, -120.4333. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Kings County, CA 59 km (37 mi) ESE earthquakes near Kings County
San Benito County, CA 71 km (44 mi) NW earthquakes near San Benito County
Monterey County, CA 79 km (49 mi) W earthquakes near Monterey County
Fresno County, CA 90 km (56 mi) NE earthquakes near Fresno County
San Luis Obispo County, CA 96 km (59 mi) S earthquakes near San Luis Obispo County
Merced County, CA 108 km (67 mi) NNW earthquakes near Merced 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. 1.6 23 km ENE of King City, California
  2. 1.5 24 km NNE of San Lucas, California
  3. 1.9 26 km NE of King City, California
  4. 1.9 11 km NW of Parkfield, California
  5. 1.8 8 km WSW of Huron, California
  6. 2.3 11 km E of Coalinga, California
  7. 1.6 18 km NW of Parkfield, California
  8. 1.6 23 km ENE of San Lucas, California
  9. 2.0 23 km ENE of San Lucas, California
  10. 1.5 22 km ENE of San Lucas, California
  11. 1.9 22 km NE of San Lucas, California
  12. 1.6 24 km NE of King City, California
  13. 2.1 13 km NW of Parkfield, California
  14. 1.6 10 km NW of Parkfield, California
  15. 1.5 34 km NE of King City, 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.