QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.3md

Earthquake near Cambria, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Cambria in the 24 hours to 6:48 am PST (14:48 UTC). The last one was M 2.3, 18 km (11 mi) NNE, at 5:04 pm PDT on 21 September 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Cambria

This page: a magnitude 2.3 earthquake was recorded 13 km (8 mi) north-northeast of Cambria, CA, at 6:22 pm PDT on 13 September 2021 (01:22 UTC), 6.9 km deep. 2 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 13km NNE of Cambria, CA

6:22 pm PDT, Sep 13, 2021 · · 6.9 km deep · released about 79 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Cambria Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N San Luis Obispo County 60 kmMonterey County 69 kmSan Benito County 105 kmKings 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
6:22 pm PDT on 13 September 2021 ()
Where
13 km (8 mi) north-northeast of Cambria, CA · earthquakes near Cambria
Magnitude
M 2.3 (md)
Depth
6.9 km below the surface
Felt
2 reports · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
San Luis Obispo County, 60 km ESE
Nearest mapped fault
Hosgri fault, 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 1879 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 18 km (11 mi) from the epicentre. In Cambria, 13 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 13 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 79 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 5.8 190,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 130,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 12× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.3 about 79 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 · 8 km WNW of this epicentre
  2. 6.2 28km NW of Cambria, CA · 29 km WNW of this epicentre
  3. 5.8 1934 Parkfield, California Earthquake · 37 km ENE of this epicentre
  4. 5.7 Southwest of Cambria, California · 25 km SW of this epicentre
  5. 5.2 26km NNW of Lake Nacimiento, CA · 32 km N 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 35.6695, -121.0173. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
San Luis Obispo County, CA 60 km (37 mi) ESE earthquakes near San Luis Obispo County
Monterey County, CA 69 km (43 mi) NNW earthquakes near Monterey County
San Benito County, CA 105 km (65 mi) N earthquakes near San Benito County
Kings County, CA 117 km (73 mi) ENE earthquakes near Kings County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 2.0 6km NW of San Simeon, CA
  2. 2.2 12km NNE of Cayucos, CA
  3. 2.3 8km W of Templeton, CA
  4. 2.2 6km W of Templeton, CA
  5. 1.6 19km NW of San Simeon, CA
  6. 2.5 13km NNW of San Simeon, CA
  7. 2.2 12km W of Templeton, CA
  8. 2.0 13km NNE of San Simeon, CA
  9. 1.7 9km WSW of Atascadero, CA
  10. 1.7 18km NNW of San Simeon, CA
  11. 1.7 18km NW of San Simeon, CA
  12. 2.2 4km WSW of Paso Robles, CA
  13. 1.7 12km SSW of San Lucas, CA
  14. 1.5 21km NNE of San Simeon, CA
  15. 2.1 18km NNW of San Simeon, 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.