QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.0md

Earthquake near Paso Robles, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Paso Robles in the 24 hours to 3:53 am PST (11:53 UTC). The last one was M 2.5, 21 km (13 mi) S, at 11:41 pm PDT on 15 August 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 61 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Paso Robles

This page: a magnitude 2.0 earthquake was recorded 36 km (23 mi) east-northeast of Paso Robles, CA, at 8:41 pm PDT on 28 May 2018 (03:41 UTC), 9.8 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 9km NNW of Cholame, CA

8:41 pm PDT, May 28, 2018 · · 9.8 km deep · released about 35 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Paso Robles Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N San Luis Obispo County 46 kmKings County 57 kmMonterey County 100 kmSan Benito County 112 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
8:41 pm PDT on 28 May 2018 ()
Where
36 km (23 mi) east-northeast of Paso Robles, CA · earthquakes near Paso Robles
Magnitude
M 2.0 (md)
Depth
9.8 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity I
Nearest
San Luis Obispo County, 46 km SSW
Nearest mapped fault
San Andreas fault, 1 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 3087 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 13 km (8 mi) from the epicentre. In Paso Robles, 36 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: Shandon.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 35 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.0 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 440,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 310,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 28× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.0 about 35 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 · 49 km N of this epicentre
  2. 6.5 1922 Parkfield, California Earthquake · 10 km ESE of this epicentre
  3. 6.4 1901 Parkfield, California Earthquake · 27 km NNW of this epicentre
  4. 6.0 2004 Parkfield, California Earthquake · 3 km NW of this epicentre
  5. 5.8 1934 Parkfield, California Earthquake · 29 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 35.7953, -120.3462. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
San Luis Obispo County, CA 46 km (29 mi) SSW earthquakes near San Luis Obispo County
Kings County, CA 57 km (35 mi) ENE earthquakes near Kings County
Monterey County, CA 100 km (62 mi) WNW earthquakes near Monterey County
San Benito County, CA 112 km (70 mi) NW earthquakes near San Benito County
Fresno County, CA 124 km (77 mi) NNE earthquakes near Fresno County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.6 12km WNW of Avenal, CA
  2. 1.5 12km WNW of Avenal, CA
  3. 2.5 13km WNW of Avenal, CA
  4. 1.5 19km NW of Parkfield, CA
  5. 1.7 4km NNW of Cholame, CA
  6. 1.7 10km WSW of Huron, CA
  7. 2.1 5km WNW of Kettleman City, CA
  8. 2.8 3km NW of Kettleman City, CA
  9. 1.8 2km SSW of Huron, CA
  10. 1.6 7km E of Atascadero, CA
  11. 3.5 1km W of Parkfield, CA
  12. 1.8 14km NE of Coalinga, CA
  13. 1.8 8km ENE of Coalinga, CA
  14. 1.7 6km W of Templeton, CA
  15. 1.5 7km SSE 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.