QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 3.1ml

Earthquake near Coalinga, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Coalinga in the 24 hours to 10:47 am PST (18:47 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 3.1 earthquake was recorded 42 km (26 mi) northwest of Coalinga, CA, at 6:40 pm PST on 11 November 2019 (02:40 UTC), 19 km deep. 2 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 4km NE of New Idria, CA

6:40 pm PST, Nov 11, 2019 · · 19 km deep · released about 1,400 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N San Benito County 44 kmMonterey County 65 kmMerced County 84 kmKings County 85 kmFresno County 95 kmMadera County 116 kmSan Luis Obispo County 119 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
6:40 pm PST on 11 November 2019 ()
Where
42 km (26 mi) northwest of Coalinga, CA · earthquakes near Coalinga
Magnitude
M 3.1 (ml)
Depth
19 km below the surface
Felt
2 reports · strongest reported intensity II
Nearest
San Benito County, 44 km WNW
Nearest mapped fault
Great Valley thrust fault system, 16 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 2470 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 38 km (24 mi) from the epicentre. In Coalinga, 42 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.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 1,400 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 4.1 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Northridge, California 1994 M 6.7 230,000× the energy of this one
  2. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 10,000× the energy of this one
  3. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 7,400× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 3.1 about 1,400 lb of TNT
  5. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 this one released 1.5× more

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 14 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 6.7 The 1983 Coalinga, California Earthquake · 38 km SE of this epicentre
  2. 6.1 Northwest of Huron, California · 7 km NNE of this epicentre
  3. 5.8 29 km NE of San Lucas, California · 20 km SW of this epicentre
  4. 5.5 11 km NNE of Coalinga, California · 40 km SE of this epicentre
  5. 5.5 11 km NE of Coalinga, California · 41 km SE 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 36.4457, -120.6420. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
San Benito County, CA 44 km (27 mi) WNW earthquakes near San Benito County
Monterey County, CA 65 km (40 mi) WSW earthquakes near Monterey County
Merced County, CA 84 km (52 mi) N earthquakes near Merced County
Kings County, CA 85 km (53 mi) ESE earthquakes near Kings County
Fresno County, CA 95 km (59 mi) ENE earthquakes near Fresno County
Madera County, CA 116 km (72 mi) NE earthquakes near Madera County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.0 18km NW of Parkfield, CA
  2. 2.5 4km ESE of Pinnacles, CA
  3. 1.9 6km ESE of Pinnacles, CA
  4. 1.5 7km ENE of Pinnacles, CA
  5. 2.4 13km SE of Pinnacles, CA
  6. 1.8 17km E of Pinnacles, CA
  7. 1.8 13km SE of Pinnacles, CA
  8. 2.0 21km NW of Parkfield, CA
  9. 2.5 7km E of Pinnacles, CA
  10. 1.8 17km NNE of Coalinga, CA
  11. 2.1 8km ESE of Pinnacles, CA
  12. 1.8 20km SE of Pinnacles, CA
  13. 1.8 7km ENE of Pinnacles, CA
  14. 2.2 17km NW of Parkfield, CA
  15. 2.0 12km SE of Pinnacles, 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.