QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.3md

Earthquake near Coalinga, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Coalinga in the 24 hours to 3:21 am PST (11:21 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 2.3 earthquake was recorded 39 km (25 mi) northwest of Coalinga, CA, at 9:13 am PST on 25 January 2018 (17:13 UTC), 9.7 km deep. 5 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 3km S of New Idria, CA

9:13 am PST, Jan 25, 2018 · · 9.7 km deep · released about 74 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N San Benito County 44 kmMonterey County 60 kmKings County 85 kmMerced County 90 kmFresno County 100 kmSan Luis Obispo County 113 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
9:13 am PST on 25 January 2018 ()
Where
39 km (25 mi) northwest of Coalinga, CA · earthquakes near Coalinga
Magnitude
M 2.3 (md)
Depth
9.7 km below the surface
Felt
5 reports · strongest reported intensity IV
Nearest
San Benito County, 44 km NW
Nearest mapped fault
San Andreas fault, 20 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 3211 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 17 km (11 mi) from the epicentre. In Coalinga, 39 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 74 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.3 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 200,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 140,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 13× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.3 about 74 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 15 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 6.7 The 1983 Coalinga, California Earthquake · 37 km ESE of this epicentre
  2. 6.4 1901 Parkfield, California Earthquake · 46 km SSE of this epicentre
  3. 6.1 Northwest of Huron, California · 14 km NNE of this epicentre
  4. 5.8 29 km NE of San Lucas, California · 13 km SW of this epicentre
  5. 5.5 11 km NNE of Coalinga, California · 39 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 36.3865, -120.6765. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
San Benito County, CA 44 km (28 mi) NW earthquakes near San Benito County
Monterey County, CA 60 km (37 mi) WSW earthquakes near Monterey County
Kings County, CA 85 km (53 mi) ESE earthquakes near Kings County
Merced County, CA 90 km (56 mi) N earthquakes near Merced County
Fresno County, CA 100 km (62 mi) ENE earthquakes near Fresno County
San Luis Obispo County, CA 113 km (70 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

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

  1. 1.8 4km NNE of Pinnacles, CA
  2. 1.6 4km NNE of Pinnacles, CA
  3. 2.0 17km NW of Parkfield, CA
  4. 1.7 20km SW of New Idria, CA
  5. 1.5 7km E of Coalinga, CA
  6. 2.2 4km ENE of Pinnacles, CA
  7. 2.0 5km ENE of New Idria, CA
  8. 1.6 6km NNE of Pinnacles, CA
  9. 3.1 6km NNE of Pinnacles, CA
  10. 1.8 16km SE of Pinnacles, CA
  11. 3.0 17km NNE of New Idria, CA
  12. 1.7 15km WSW of Cantua Creek, CA
  13. 1.9 24km NW of Parkfield, CA
  14. 2.0 3km N of Pinnacles, CA
  15. 2.0 7km N of Pinnacles, 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.