QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.3md

Earthquake near Coalinga, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Coalinga in the 24 hours to 5:38 am PST (13:38 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 2.3 earthquake was recorded 38 km (24 mi) northwest of Coalinga, CA, at 2:37 pm PDT on 24 June 2021 (21:37 UTC), 4.6 km deep.

USGS: 6km E of New Idria, CA

2:37 pm PDT, Jun 24, 2021 · · 4.6 km deep · released about 74 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N San Benito County 48 kmMonterey County 66 kmKings County 81 kmMerced County 88 kmFresno County 94 kmSan Luis Obispo County 115 kmMadera County 117 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
2:37 pm PDT on 24 June 2021 ()
Where
38 km (24 mi) northwest of Coalinga, CA · earthquakes near Coalinga
Magnitude
M 2.3 (md)
Depth
4.6 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
San Benito County, 48 km WNW
Nearest mapped fault
Great Valley thrust fault system, 17 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 1966 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 19 km (12 mi) from the epicentre. In Coalinga, 38 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 74 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.3 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 200,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 140,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 13× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.3 about 74 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 · 34 km SE of this epicentre
  2. 6.4 1901 Parkfield, California Earthquake · 47 km SSE of this epicentre
  3. 6.1 Northwest of Huron, California · 10 km N of this epicentre
  4. 5.8 29 km NE of San Lucas, California · 19 km SW of this epicentre
  5. 5.5 11 km NNE of Coalinga, California · 35 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 36.4128, -120.6118. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
San Benito County, CA 48 km (30 mi) WNW earthquakes near San Benito County
Monterey County, CA 66 km (41 mi) WSW earthquakes near Monterey County
Kings County, CA 81 km (50 mi) ESE earthquakes near Kings County
Merced County, CA 88 km (54 mi) N earthquakes near Merced County
Fresno County, CA 94 km (58 mi) ENE earthquakes near Fresno County
San Luis Obispo County, CA 115 km (71 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

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

  1. 2.1 22km NE of San Lucas, CA
  2. 1.8 13km SE of Pinnacles, CA
  3. 2.8 23km NW of Parkfield, CA
  4. 1.6 13km NW of Avenal, CA
  5. 1.8 8km ESE of Pinnacles, CA
  6. 3.8 15km SSE of New Idria, CA
  7. 1.7 23km WSW of New Idria, CA
  8. 2.1 9km SE of Pinnacles, CA
  9. 1.7 7km ENE of Pinnacles, CA
  10. 1.7 20km SW of New Idria, CA
  11. 2.1 1km NE of Pinnacles, CA
  12. 1.8 25km NW of Parkfield, CA
  13. 1.9 23km NW of Parkfield, CA
  14. 1.9 25km SSW of South Dos Palos, CA
  15. 1.6 19km NNW 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.