Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist
M 1.8md
Earthquake near King City, CA
No earthquake was likely felt in King City in the 24 hours to 3:17 am PST (11:17 UTC). The last one was M 2.5, 14 km (8 mi) E, at 4:39 pm PDT on 29 September 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near King City
This page: a magnitude 1.8 earthquake was recorded 24 km (15 mi) south-southeast of King City, CA, at 1:55 am PST on 16 January 2018 (09:55 UTC), 7.0 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.
USGS: 8km W of San Ardo, CA
- When
- 1:55 am PST on 16 January 2018 ()
- Where
- 24 km (15 mi) south-southeast of King City, CA · earthquakes near King City
- Magnitude
- M 1.8 (md)
- Depth
- 7.0 km below the surface
- Felt
- 1 report · strongest reported intensity II
- Nearest
- Monterey County, 38 km NW
- Status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 3221 days ago
Earthquake alerts for King City, CA
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Alerts are on for .
Not a warning. An alert comes after USGS publishes a quake, usually minutes after the shaking. For early warning use ShakeAlert, through your phone's Wireless Emergency Alerts or the MyShake app.
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 12 km (7 mi) from the epicentre. In King City, 24 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 15 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.8 would have released about 32 times as much.
- Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 1,000,000× the energy of this one
- Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 710,000× the energy of this one
- Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 63× the energy of this one
- This earthquake M 1.8 about 15 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 13 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:
- 6.5 10 km NE of San Simeon, California · 37 km SSW of this epicentre
- 6.4 1901 Parkfield, California Earthquake · 45 km E of this epicentre
- 6.2 28km NW of Cambria, CA · 44 km SW of this epicentre
- 5.8 29 km NE of San Lucas, California · 37 km NNE of this epicentre
- 5.8 1934 Parkfield, California Earthquake · 36 km ESE 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 36.0190, -120.9983. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Nearby places
| Place | Distance | Direction from the epicentre | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monterey County, CA | 38 km (23 mi) | NW | earthquakes near Monterey County |
| San Benito County, CA | 66 km (41 mi) | N | earthquakes near San Benito County |
| San Luis Obispo County, CA | 86 km (53 mi) | SE | earthquakes near San Luis Obispo County |
| Kings County, CA | 107 km (66 mi) | E | earthquakes near Kings County |
| Santa Cruz County, CA | 143 km (89 mi) | NW | earthquakes near Santa Cruz 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.
- 1.6 3km SE of San Ardo, CA
- 2.6 17km NW of Parkfield, CA
- 1.6 16km NW of Parkfield, CA
- 1.6 10km E of San Simeon, CA
- 2.0 23km NNE of San Ardo, CA
- 1.8 6km SE of Lopez Point, CA
- 2.0 23km SE of Pinnacles, CA
- 1.5 3km SE of San Ardo, CA
- 1.6 24km SE of Lopez Point, CA
- 1.7 22km NW of San Simeon, CA
- 2.0 17km NW of Parkfield, CA
- 1.7 20km SW of New Idria, CA
- 1.8 16km SE of Pinnacles, CA
- 1.8 6km SW of San Ardo, CA
- 1.9 24km NW of Parkfield, 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
- The official USGS event page — the source of record for every value above
- Did you feel it? Report it to USGS — reports go to USGS, not to us
- ShakeMap for this event, when USGS has produced one
QuakeIndex does not issue warnings. For earthquake early warning see ShakeAlert.