Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist
M 4.3mw
Earthquake near Paso Robles, CA
No earthquake was likely felt in Paso Robles in the 24 hours to 5:50 am PST (13:50 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 4.3 earthquake was recorded 36 km (23 mi) east-northeast of Paso Robles, CA, at 10:29 am PST on 17 December 2019 (18:29 UTC), 6.3 km deep. 706 people have reported feeling it to USGS.
USGS: 11km NNW of Cholame, CA
- When
- 10:29 am PST on 17 December 2019 ()
- Where
- 36 km (23 mi) east-northeast of Paso Robles, CA · earthquakes near Paso Robles
- Magnitude
- M 4.3 (mw)
- Depth
- 6.3 km below the surface
- Felt
- 706 reports · strongest reported intensity IV
- Measured shaking
- intensity VI (ShakeMap)
- USGS impact alert
- green
- Nearest
- San Luis Obispo County, 47 km S
- 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 1634 days ago
Earthquake alerts for Paso Robles, CA
Get a notification in this browser when USGS records an earthquake near Paso Robles, CA. No account or email needed.
Alerts are on for .
Not a warning. An alert comes after USGS publishes a quake, usually minutes after the shaking. For early warning use ShakeAlert, through your phone's Wireless Emergency Alerts or the MyShake app.
This was a light earthquake. It is usually felt clearly nearby and can rattle windows and dishes, but damage is uncommon.
At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 120 km (75 mi) from the epicentre. In Paso Robles, 36 km away, the estimate is intensity III (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: Avenal 30 km, intensity III · Paso Robles 36 km, intensity III · Coalinga 37 km, intensity III · Kettleman City 42 km, intensity III · Atascadero 45 km, intensity III · Huron 50 km, intensity III. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.
How big was it?
This earthquake released about 41 tons of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 5.3 would have released about 32 times as much.
- Northridge, California 1994 M 6.7 4,100× the energy of this one
- Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 180× the energy of this one
- Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 130× the energy of this one
- This earthquake M 4.3 about 41 tons of TNT
- Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 this one released 86× 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
The largest earthquake within 50 km (31 mi) since our catalogue begins in 2016. The previous largest was M 4.0 on 2018-11-27.
Before 2016, the USGS record lists 18 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:
- 6.7 The 1983 Coalinga, California Earthquake · 48 km N of this epicentre
- 6.5 1922 Parkfield, California Earthquake · 11 km ESE of this epicentre
- 6.4 1901 Parkfield, California Earthquake · 25 km NNW of this epicentre
- 6.0 2004 Parkfield, California Earthquake · 2 km NNW of this epicentre
- 5.8 1934 Parkfield, California Earthquake · 28 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 35.8058, -120.3560. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Nearby places
| Place | Distance | Direction from the epicentre | |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Luis Obispo County, CA | 47 km (29 mi) | S | earthquakes near San Luis Obispo County |
| Kings County, CA | 57 km (35 mi) | ENE | earthquakes near Kings County |
| Monterey County, CA | 99 km (61 mi) | WNW | earthquakes near Monterey County |
| San Benito County, CA | 111 km (69 mi) | NW | earthquakes near San Benito County |
| Fresno County, CA | 123 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
46 earthquakes have been recorded within 50 km since this one.
- 1.6 13km NW of Avenal, CA
- 2.4 6km SE of Kettleman City, CA
- 1.7 7km W of Templeton, CA
- 2.2 6km SE of Parkfield, CA
- 2.9 6km SE of Parkfield, CA
- 1.9 22km NW of Parkfield, CA
- 1.8 12km S of Kettleman City, CA
- 1.5 0km WNW of Avenal, CA
- 1.5 11km SW of Huron, CA
- 2.0 24km NW of Parkfield, CA
- 1.8 7km NW of Parkfield, CA
- 1.7 11km WSW of Huron, CA
- 1.8 12km SW of Huron, CA
- 1.5 4km SSE of Avenal, CA
- 1.7 10km W of Huron, 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
- The official USGS event page — the source of record for every value above
- Did you feel it? Report it to USGS — reports go to USGS, not to us
- ShakeMap for this event, when USGS has produced one
QuakeIndex does not issue warnings. For earthquake early warning see ShakeAlert.