QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.2md

Earthquake near Coalinga, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Coalinga in the 24 hours to 4:41 am PST (12:41 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 2.2 earthquake was recorded 14 km (9 mi) north-northwest of Coalinga, CA, at 5:25 am PDT on 20 April 2018 (12:25 UTC), 7.6 km deep.

USGS: 14km NNW of Coalinga, CA

81 km (50 mi) SW of Fresno, CA

5:25 am PDT, Apr 20, 2018 · · 7.6 km deep · released about 64 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Kings County 58 kmSan Benito County 72 kmMonterey County 81 kmFresno County 88 kmSan Luis Obispo County 97 kmMerced County 108 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
5:25 am PDT on 20 April 2018 ()
Where
14 km (9 mi) north-northwest of Coalinga, CA · earthquakes near Coalinga
Magnitude
M 2.2 (md)
Depth
7.6 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Kings County, 58 km ESE
Nearest mapped fault
Great Valley thrust fault system, 11 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 3121 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, 14 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: Coalinga 14 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 64 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 5.8 230,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 170,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 15× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.2 about 64 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 18 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 6.7 The 1983 Coalinga, California Earthquake · 10 km ESE of this epicentre
  2. 6.4 1901 Parkfield, California Earthquake · 30 km SSW of this epicentre
  3. 6.1 Northwest of Huron, California · 31 km NNW of this epicentre
  4. 6.0 2004 Parkfield, California Earthquake · 49 km S of this epicentre
  5. 5.8 29 km NE of San Lucas, California · 32 km W 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 36.2578, -120.4180. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Kings County, CA 58 km (36 mi) ESE earthquakes near Kings County
San Benito County, CA 72 km (44 mi) WNW earthquakes near San Benito County
Monterey County, CA 81 km (50 mi) W earthquakes near Monterey County
Fresno County, CA 88 km (55 mi) NE earthquakes near Fresno County
San Luis Obispo County, CA 97 km (60 mi) S earthquakes near San Luis Obispo County
Merced County, CA 108 km (67 mi) NNW earthquakes near Merced County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.1 5km SSE of Avenal, CA
  2. 1.7 24km NE of King City, CA
  3. 1.6 11km SW of Huron, CA
  4. 1.6 5km ESE of Avenal, CA
  5. 1.8 23km ENE of San Lucas, CA
  6. 1.7 21km NE of San Ardo, CA
  7. 2.3 13km ESE of Coalinga, CA
  8. 2.2 12km ESE of Coalinga, CA
  9. 1.8 8km NNE of Kettleman City, CA
  10. 2.1 9km NE of Avenal, CA
  11. 1.9 6km NNE of Avenal, CA
  12. 1.9 12km SE of Coalinga, CA
  13. 1.5 13km SW of Huron, CA
  14. 1.6 21km SW of New Idria, CA
  15. 1.9 7km NNW of Avenal, 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.