QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.0md

Earthquake near Coalinga, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Coalinga in the 24 hours to 8:50 pm PST (04:50 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 2.0 earthquake was recorded 22 km (14 mi) north of Coalinga, CA, at 5:42 am PDT on 18 September 2017 (12:42 UTC), 3.7 km deep.

USGS: 18 km S of Three Rocks, CA

72 km (45 mi) SW of Fresno, CA

5:42 am PDT, Sep 18, 2017 · · 3.7 km deep · released about 31 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 70 kmFresno County 80 kmMonterey County 85 kmMerced County 100 kmSan Luis Obispo County 106 kmMadera County 112 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
5:42 am PDT on 18 September 2017 ()
Where
22 km (14 mi) north of Coalinga, CA · earthquakes near Coalinga
Magnitude
M 2.0 (md)
Depth
3.7 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Kings County, 59 km ESE
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 3339 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 16 km (10 mi) from the epicentre. In Coalinga, 22 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: Huron.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 31 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.0 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 480,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 340,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 31× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.0 about 31 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 16 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 6.7 The 1983 Coalinga, California Earthquake · 14 km SSE of this epicentre
  2. 6.4 1901 Parkfield, California Earthquake · 40 km SSW of this epicentre
  3. 6.1 Northwest of Huron, California · 27 km NW of this epicentre
  4. 5.8 29 km NE of San Lucas, California · 35 km W of this epicentre
  5. 5.6 8 km SW of Huron, California · 30 km SE 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 36.3415, -120.3780. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Kings County, CA 59 km (36 mi) ESE earthquakes near Kings County
San Benito County, CA 70 km (44 mi) WNW earthquakes near San Benito County
Fresno County, CA 80 km (50 mi) NE earthquakes near Fresno County
Monterey County, CA 85 km (53 mi) W earthquakes near Monterey County
Merced County, CA 100 km (62 mi) NNW earthquakes near Merced County
San Luis Obispo County, CA 106 km (66 mi) S earthquakes near San Luis Obispo 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. 1.5 12km NNW of Coalinga, CA
  2. 2.1 12km NNW of Coalinga, CA
  3. 1.7 12km NNW of Coalinga, CA
  4. 2.1 14km N of Coalinga, CA
  5. 2.6 13km N of Coalinga, CA
  6. 1.9 6km SSE of Cantua Creek, CA
  7. 2.1 18km SSW of Cantua Creek, CA
  8. 2.4 2 km NW of Parkfield, California
  9. 2.7 2 km WNW of Parkfield, California
  10. 1.6 26 km NE of San Lucas, California
  11. 1.6 23 km NNE of San Lucas, California
  12. 2.0 23 km NW of Parkfield, California
  13. 1.5 23 km ENE of San Lucas, California
  14. 1.8 20 km S of Cantua Creek, California
  15. 1.7 23 km NNE 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.