QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.1md

Earthquake near Alpaugh, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Alpaugh in the 24 hours to 3:44 am PST (11:44 UTC). The last one was M 3.3, 46 km (29 mi) WNW, at 6:21 am PDT on 4 August 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 2 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Alpaugh

This page: a magnitude 2.1 earthquake was recorded 22 km (14 mi) west of Alpaugh, CA, at 3:25 am PDT on 19 April 2018 (10:25 UTC), 20 km deep.

USGS: 22km W of Alpaugh, CA

98 km (61 mi) S of Fresno, CA · 45 km (28 mi) WNW of Delano, CA

3:25 am PDT, Apr 19, 2018 · · 20 km deep · released about 51 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Kings County 21 kmSan Luis Obispo County 86 kmTulare County 93 kmFresno County 96 kmKern County 110 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
3:25 am PDT on 19 April 2018 ()
Where
22 km (14 mi) west of Alpaugh, CA · earthquakes near Alpaugh
Magnitude
M 2.1 (md)
Depth
20 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Kings County, 21 km NNW
Nearest mapped fault
Great Valley thrust fault system, 21 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 3124 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 Alpaugh, 22 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: Kettleman City, Corcoran.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 51 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.1 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 300,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 210,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 19× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.1 about 51 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. 6.5 1922 Parkfield, California Earthquake · 49 km WSW of this epicentre
  2. 5.6 8 km SW of Huron, California · 47 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 35.8990, -119.7343. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Kings County, CA 21 km (13 mi) NNW earthquakes near Kings County
San Luis Obispo County, CA 86 km (53 mi) SW earthquakes near San Luis Obispo County
Tulare County, CA 93 km (58 mi) ENE earthquakes near Tulare County
Fresno County, CA 96 km (60 mi) N earthquakes near Fresno County
Kern County, CA 110 km (68 mi) SE earthquakes near Kern County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.8 5km ESE of Huron, CA
  2. 1.9 6km SE of Huron, CA
  3. 2.8 7km SSE of Huron, CA
  4. 1.8 0km E of Kettleman City, CA
  5. 1.6 12km WNW of Avenal, CA
  6. 1.5 12km WNW of Avenal, CA
  7. 2.5 13km WNW of Avenal, CA
  8. 1.7 10km WSW of Huron, CA
  9. 2.1 5km WNW of Kettleman City, CA
  10. 2.8 3km NW of Kettleman City, CA
  11. 1.8 2km SSW of Huron, CA
  12. 1.9 1km ESE of Huron, CA
  13. 1.6 11km SW of Huron, CA
  14. 2.1 5km SSE of Avenal, CA
  15. 1.6 11km SW of Huron, 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.