QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.7md

Earthquake near Huron, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Huron in the 24 hours to 11:42 am PST (19:42 UTC). The last one was M 2.2, 10 km (6 mi) SE, at 2:35 am PDT on 16 September 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Huron

This page: a magnitude 1.7 earthquake was recorded 12 km (7 mi) west-southwest of Huron, CA, at 5:05 pm PST on 8 February 2018 (01:05 UTC), 12 km deep. 2 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 12km WSW of Huron, CA

80 km (50 mi) SSW of Fresno, CA · 54 km (34 mi) WSW of Hanford, CA

5:05 pm PST, Feb 8, 2018 · · 12 km deep · released about 11 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Kings County 37 kmFresno County 85 kmSan Luis Obispo County 87 kmSan Benito County 94 kmMonterey County 100 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
5:05 pm PST on 8 February 2018 ()
Where
12 km (7 mi) west-southwest of Huron, CA · earthquakes near Huron
Magnitude
M 1.7 (md)
Depth
12 km below the surface
Felt
2 reports · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
Kings County, 37 km ESE
Nearest mapped fault
Great Valley thrust fault system, 7 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 1558 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 1 km (1 mi) from the epicentre. In Huron, 12 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: Coalinga, Avenal, Kettleman City.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 11 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.7 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 1,400,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 1,000,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 89× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.7 about 11 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 17 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 6.7 The 1983 Coalinga, California Earthquake · 13 km NW of this epicentre
  2. 6.5 1922 Parkfield, California Earthquake · 44 km S of this epicentre
  3. 6.4 1901 Parkfield, California Earthquake · 30 km WSW of this epicentre
  4. 6.0 2004 Parkfield, California Earthquake · 39 km SSW of this epicentre
  5. 5.6 8 km SW of Huron, California · 5 km E 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 36.1457, -120.2125. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Kings County, CA 37 km (23 mi) ESE earthquakes near Kings County
Fresno County, CA 85 km (53 mi) NE earthquakes near Fresno County
San Luis Obispo County, CA 87 km (54 mi) SSW earthquakes near San Luis Obispo County
San Benito County, CA 94 km (58 mi) NW earthquakes near San Benito County
Monterey County, CA 100 km (62 mi) W earthquakes near Monterey County
Merced County, CA 125 km (78 mi) NNW earthquakes near Merced County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.6 10km NW of Avenal, CA
  2. 2.1 9km SSE of Huron, CA
  3. 2.4 9km SSE of Huron, CA
  4. 1.9 5km SSW of Kettleman City, CA
  5. 1.9 5km SE of Huron, CA
  6. 2.4 15km WSW of Cantua Creek, CA
  7. 1.5 2km N of Cholame, CA
  8. 1.9 21km NW of Parkfield, CA
  9. 1.7 8km ESE of Huron, CA
  10. 1.6 11km E of Coalinga, CA
  11. 1.8 4km SW of Huron, CA
  12. 1.7 14km NW of Parkfield, CA
  13. 1.9 10km SW of Huron, CA
  14. 1.6 8km NE of Coalinga, CA
  15. 2.5 11km E of Coalinga, 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.