QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.9md

Earthquake near Paso Robles, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Paso Robles in the 24 hours to 9:14 am PST (17:14 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 2.9 earthquake was recorded 37 km (23 mi) west-northwest of Paso Robles, CA, at 5:41 pm PDT on 26 September 2018 (00:41 UTC), 7.1 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 14km NE of San Simeon, CA

5:41 pm PDT, Sep 26, 2018 · · 7.1 km deep · released about 650 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Paso Robles Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N Monterey County 60 kmSan Luis Obispo County 69 kmSan Benito County 98 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
5:41 pm PDT on 26 September 2018 ()
Where
37 km (23 mi) west-northwest of Paso Robles, CA · earthquakes near Paso Robles
Magnitude
M 2.9 (md)
Depth
7.1 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
Monterey County, 60 km NNW
Nearest mapped fault
San Simeon fault, 14 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 2968 days ago

This was a small earthquake. Shaking like this is often felt indoors nearby and very rarely causes damage.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 31 km (19 mi) from the epicentre. In Paso Robles, 37 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: Cambria 18 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 650 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.9 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 23,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 16,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 1.5× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.9 about 650 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 9 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 6.5 10 km NE of San Simeon, California · 4 km SSW of this epicentre
  2. 6.2 28km NW of Cambria, CA · 22 km W of this epicentre
  3. 5.8 1934 Parkfield, California Earthquake · 40 km ENE of this epicentre
  4. 5.7 Southwest of Cambria, California · 28 km SSW of this epicentre
  5. 5.2 26km NNW of Lake Nacimiento, CA · 27 km NNE 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 35.7297, -121.0847. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Monterey County, CA 60 km (38 mi) NNW earthquakes near Monterey County
San Luis Obispo County, CA 69 km (43 mi) ESE earthquakes near San Luis Obispo County
San Benito County, CA 98 km (61 mi) N earthquakes near San Benito County
Kings County, CA 120 km (75 mi) ENE earthquakes near Kings County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.9 15km NE of San Simeon, CA
  2. 1.6 12km NNE of Cayucos, CA
  3. 2.2 22km SE of Lopez Point, CA
  4. 2.7 8km ENE of San Simeon, CA
  5. 1.8 24km NNW of San Simeon, CA
  6. 1.5 3km SSE of San Ardo, CA
  7. 1.5 5km NNE of San Ardo, CA
  8. 1.6 4km WSW of San Ardo, CA
  9. 2.2 8km ENE of San Simeon, CA
  10. 1.5 8km WNW of Templeton, CA
  11. 2.0 13km WSW of Lake Nacimiento, CA
  12. 2.0 11km WSW of Templeton, CA
  13. 1.9 11km NNE of San Simeon, CA
  14. 2.7 22km SSW of San Simeon, CA
  15. 1.5 15km W of Lake Nacimiento, 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.