Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist
M 2.3md
Earthquake near Cambria, CA
No earthquake was likely felt in Cambria in the 24 hours to 9:10 am PST (17:10 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 10 km (6 mi) east-northeast of Cambria, CA, at 10:50 am PST on 25 December 2023 (18:50 UTC), 3.2 km deep. 2 people have reported feeling it to USGS.
USGS: 10 km ENE of Cambria, CA
87 km (54 mi) NNW of Santa Maria, CA
- When
- 10:50 am PST on 25 December 2023 ()
- Where
- 10 km (6 mi) east-northeast of Cambria, CA · earthquakes near Cambria
- Magnitude
- M 2.3 (md)
- Depth
- 3.2 km below the surface
- Felt
- 2 reports · strongest reported intensity II
- Nearest
- San Luis Obispo County, 53 km ESE
- Nearest mapped fault
- Hosgri fault, 14 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 1045 days ago
Earthquake alerts for Cambria, CA
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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 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 Cambria, 10 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 10 km, intensity II · Cayucos 18 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.
- Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 190,000× the energy of this one
- Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 130,000× the energy of this one
- Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 12× the energy of this one
- 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
The largest earthquake within 50 km since 2016 was M 4.7 on 2021-10-25 — about 3,600 times the energy of this one.
Before 2016, the USGS record lists 9 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:
- 6.5 10 km NE of San Simeon, California · 17 km NW of this epicentre
- 6.2 28km NW of Cambria, CA · 35 km WNW of this epicentre
- 5.8 1934 Parkfield, California Earthquake · 40 km NE of this epicentre
- 5.7 Southwest of Cambria, California · 22 km WSW of this epicentre
- 5.2 26km NNW of Lake Nacimiento, CA · 41 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 35.5862, -120.9763. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Nearby places
| Place | Distance | Direction from the epicentre | |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Luis Obispo County, CA | 53 km (33 mi) | ESE | earthquakes near San Luis Obispo County |
| Monterey County, CA | 79 km (49 mi) | NNW | earthquakes near Monterey County |
| San Benito County, CA | 114 km (71 mi) | N | earthquakes near San Benito County |
| Kings County, CA | 118 km (73 mi) | ENE | earthquakes near Kings County |
| Santa Barbara County, CA | 145 km (90 mi) | SE | earthquakes near Santa Barbara County |
Places and coordinates from the US Census Bureau Gazetteer (2024). Distances are from the epicentre.
Aftershocks so far
38 earthquakes have been recorded within 50 km since this one.
- 1.6 10 km NNE of Cambria, CA
- 3.1 27 km SE of Lopez Point, CA
- 2.3 10 km E of San Simeon, CA
- 1.8 24 km NW of San Simeon, CA
- 1.6 23 km NW of San Simeon, CA
- 1.5 6 km ESE of Atascadero, CA
- 1.5 4 km NW of San Luis Obispo, CA
- 1.9 10 km E of San Simeon, CA
- 1.6 6 km NNW of San Miguel, CA
- 1.8 6 km NNW of San Miguel, CA
- 1.8 10 km NE of San Simeon, CA
- 1.8 6 km S of San Simeon, CA
- 2.1 10 km E of San Simeon, CA
- 2.0 20 km NNW of San Simeon, CA
- 2.1 12 km NNE of Cayucos, 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.