QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.7md

Earthquake near Coalinga, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Coalinga in the 24 hours to 4:43 am PST (12:43 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 1.7 earthquake was recorded 41 km (26 mi) northwest of Coalinga, CA, at 2:41 pm PST on 14 November 2019 (22:41 UTC), 14 km deep.

USGS: 2km ENE of New Idria, CA

2:41 pm PST, Nov 14, 2019 · · 14 km deep · released about 12 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N San Benito County 44 kmMonterey County 63 kmKings County 85 kmMerced County 86 kmFresno County 97 kmSan Luis Obispo County 117 kmMadera 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
2:41 pm PST on 14 November 2019 ()
Where
41 km (26 mi) northwest of Coalinga, CA · earthquakes near Coalinga
Magnitude
M 1.7 (md)
Depth
14 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
San Benito County, 44 km WNW
Nearest mapped fault
Great Valley thrust fault system, 18 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 2549 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 Coalinga, 41 km away, the estimate is intensity I (not felt). 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 12 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.7 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 1,200,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 870,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 78× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.7 about 12 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 15 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 6.7 The 1983 Coalinga, California Earthquake · 37 km SE of this epicentre
  2. 6.4 1901 Parkfield, California Earthquake · 49 km SSE of this epicentre
  3. 6.1 Northwest of Huron, California · 9 km NNE of this epicentre
  4. 5.8 29 km NE of San Lucas, California · 17 km SW of this epicentre
  5. 5.5 11 km NNE of Coalinga, California · 39 km ESE 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 36.4258, -120.6527. 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 63 km (39 mi) WSW earthquakes near Monterey County
Kings County, CA 85 km (53 mi) ESE earthquakes near Kings County
Merced County, CA 86 km (53 mi) N earthquakes near Merced County
Fresno County, CA 97 km (60 mi) ENE earthquakes near Fresno County
San Luis Obispo County, CA 117 km (73 mi) S earthquakes near San Luis Obispo County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.9 21km NW of Parkfield, CA
  2. 1.9 24km E of San Ardo, CA
  3. 2.4 16km NNE of Coalinga, CA
  4. 1.6 23km ENE of San Ardo, CA
  5. 2.6 22km NE of San Lucas, CA
  6. 1.7 7km ESE of Pinnacles, CA
  7. 3.3 22km NE of San Lucas, CA
  8. 2.0 18km NW of Parkfield, CA
  9. 2.5 4km ESE of Pinnacles, CA
  10. 1.9 6km ESE of Pinnacles, CA
  11. 1.5 7km ENE of Pinnacles, CA
  12. 2.4 13km SE of Pinnacles, CA
  13. 1.8 17km E of Pinnacles, CA
  14. 1.8 13km SE of Pinnacles, CA
  15. 2.0 21km NW of Parkfield, 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.