QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.2md

Earthquake near Soledad, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Soledad in the 24 hours to 2:39 am PST (10:39 UTC). The last one was M 3.0, 26 km (16 mi) N, at 2:58 pm PDT on 22 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Soledad

This page: a magnitude 2.2 earthquake was recorded 16 km (10 mi) west-southwest of Soledad, CA, at 5:47 am PST on 3 February 2018 (13:47 UTC), 8.1 km deep.

USGS: 16km WSW of Soledad, CA

38 km (24 mi) SSE of Salinas, CA · 107 km (67 mi) SSE of San Jose, CA

5:47 am PST, Feb 3, 2018 · · 8.1 km deep · released about 52 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Monterey County 21 kmSan Benito County 45 kmSanta Cruz County 86 kmSanta Clara County 97 kmMerced County 114 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
5:47 am PST on 3 February 2018 ()
Where
16 km (10 mi) west-southwest of Soledad, CA · earthquakes near Soledad
Magnitude
M 2.2 (md)
Depth
8.1 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Monterey County, 21 km SE
Nearest mapped fault
Monterey Bay- Tularcitos fault, 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 3197 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 Soledad, 16 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.

Likely felt in: Soledad 16 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 52 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.2 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 290,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 200,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 18× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.2 about 52 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

The largest earthquake within 50 km since 2016 was M 4.6 on 2017-11-13 — about 4,300 times the energy of this one.

Before 2016, the USGS record lists 12 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 5.9 10 km SE of Tres Pinos, California · 47 km NNE of this epicentre
  2. 5.8 Near Paicines, California · 40 km NNE of this epicentre
  3. 5.5 7 km SW of Hollister, California · 48 km N of this epicentre
  4. 5.5 12 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 39 km NNE of this epicentre
  5. 5.2 5 km SSW of Spreckels, California · 29 km NW 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 36.3667, -121.4857. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Monterey County, CA 21 km (13 mi) SE earthquakes near Monterey County
San Benito County, CA 45 km (28 mi) NE earthquakes near San Benito County
Santa Cruz County, CA 86 km (53 mi) NNW earthquakes near Santa Cruz County
Santa Clara County, CA 97 km (60 mi) N earthquakes near Santa Clara County
Merced County, CA 114 km (71 mi) NE earthquakes near Merced County
San Mateo County, CA 141 km (87 mi) NW earthquakes near San Mateo 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. 2.3 5km ESE of Pinnacles, CA
  2. 2.1 5km ESE of Pinnacles, CA
  3. 1.7 5km ESE of Pinnacles, CA
  4. 2.1 11km SE of Pinnacles, CA
  5. 2.0 10km SE of Pinnacles, CA
  6. 1.7 6km NNE of Pinnacles, CA
  7. 2.0 12km ESE of Pinnacles, CA
  8. 1.6 20km SE of Pinnacles, CA
  9. 3.0 19km SE of Pinnacles, CA
  10. 2.3 15km ESE of Tres Pinos, CA
  11. 1.6 15km NW of Pinnacles, CA
  12. 1.8 6km SE of Lopez Point, CA
  13. 2.0 23km SE of Pinnacles, CA
  14. 2.0 12km NW of Pinnacles, CA
  15. 2.1 12km S of Tres Pinos, 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.