QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.5md

Earthquake near Millbrae, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Millbrae in the 24 hours to 10:52 pm PST (06:52 UTC). The last one was M 2.7, 8 km (5 mi) WNW, at 5:17 pm PDT on 28 October 2026, estimated intensity III (weak) in town; 526 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Millbrae

This page: a magnitude 1.5 earthquake was recorded 3 km (2 mi) north-northeast of Millbrae, CA, at 8:08 am PDT on 22 October 2017 (15:08 UTC), 12 km deep.

USGS: 2 km NNE of Millbrae, California

18 km (11 mi) SSE of San Francisco, CA · in South San Francisco, CA

8:08 am PDT, Oct 22, 2017 · · 12 km deep · released about 5.9 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N San Mateo County 23 kmAlameda County 41 kmContra Costa County 50 kmMarin County 58 kmSan Francisco County 59 kmSanta Clara County 75 kmSanta Cruz County 75 kmSolano County 81 kmNapa County 99 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
8:08 am PDT on 22 October 2017 ()
Where
3 km (2 mi) north-northeast of Millbrae, CA · earthquakes near Millbrae
Magnitude
M 1.5 (md)
Depth
12 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
San Mateo County, 23 km S
Nearest mapped fault
Serra fault, 4 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 3305 days ago

This was a minor earthquake. Quakes this small are rarely felt and do not cause damage.

At this magnitude and depth it was probably too small to be felt, even directly above it. In Millbrae, 3 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 Bruno, Burlingame, South San Francisco, Hillsborough, Brisbane, San Mateo.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 5.9 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.5 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 2,500,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 1,800,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 160× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.5 about 5.9 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 2 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km:

  1. 7.9 The 1906 San Francisco, California Earthquake · 21 km NW of this epicentre
  2. 5.3 The 1957 San Francisco, California Earthquake · 11 km WNW 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 37.6210, -122.3733. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
San Mateo County, CA 23 km (14 mi) S earthquakes near San Mateo County
Alameda County, CA 41 km (25 mi) E earthquakes near Alameda County
Contra Costa County, CA 50 km (31 mi) NE earthquakes near Contra Costa County
Marin County, CA 58 km (36 mi) NW earthquakes near Marin County
San Francisco County, CA 59 km (37 mi) WNW earthquakes near San Francisco County
Santa Clara County, CA 75 km (47 mi) SE earthquakes near Santa Clara County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.5 2km W of Diablo, CA
  2. 2.8 2km NW of Diablo, CA
  3. 2.4 2km WNW of Diablo, CA
  4. 1.6 2km WNW of Diablo, CA
  5. 3.0 2km WNW of Diablo, CA
  6. 1.8 2km WNW of Diablo, CA
  7. 2.5 2km WNW of Diablo, CA
  8. 2.2 2km WNW of Diablo, CA
  9. 1.7 2km W of Diablo, CA
  10. 1.5 2km W of Diablo, CA
  11. 2.1 2km WNW of Diablo, CA
  12. 1.5 2km W of Diablo, CA
  13. 2.1 2km WNW of Diablo, CA
  14. 1.5 2km WNW of Diablo, CA
  15. 2.4 2km WNW of Diablo, CA

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.