Earthquake · automatic estimate, may change
M 1.7md
Earthquake near Atascadero, CA
No earthquake was likely felt in Atascadero in the 24 hours to 11:26 am PST (19:26 UTC). The last one was M 2.1, 8 km (5 mi) SW, at 6:08 am PDT on 21 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 3 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Atascadero
This page: a magnitude 1.7 earthquake was recorded 8 km (5 mi) east-southeast of Atascadero, CA, at 9:34 am PST on 2 February 2026 (17:34 UTC), 4.6 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS. The magnitude and location are an automatic first estimate and may change.
USGS: 8 km ESE of Atascadero, CA
- When
- 9:34 am PST on 2 February 2026 ()
- Where
- 8 km (5 mi) east-southeast of Atascadero, CA · earthquakes near Atascadero
- Magnitude
- M 1.7 (md)
- Depth
- 4.6 km below the surface
- Felt
- 1 report
- Nearest
- San Luis Obispo County, 15 km SE
- Status
- Automatic — a machine’s first estimate, which may change
USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 283 days ago
Earthquake alerts for Atascadero, CA
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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 11 km (7 mi) from the epicentre. In Atascadero, 8 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: Atascadero 8 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.
How big was it?
This earthquake released about 9.3 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.
- Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 1,600,000× the energy of this one
- Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 1,100,000× the energy of this one
- Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 100× the energy of this one
- This earthquake M 1.7 about 9.3 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 4.3 on 2019-12-17 — about 8,800 times the energy of this one.
Before 2016, the USGS record lists 7 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:
- 6.5 1922 Parkfield, California Earthquake · 43 km NE of this epicentre
- 6.0 2004 Parkfield, California Earthquake · 43 km NNE of this epicentre
- 5.8 1934 Parkfield, California Earthquake · 42 km N of this epicentre
- 5.5 1966 Parkfield, California Earthquake · 44 km NE of this epicentre
- 5.1 13km N of San Miguel, CA · 45 km NNW 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 35.4717, -120.5827. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Nearby places
| Place | Distance | Direction from the epicentre | |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Luis Obispo County, CA | 15 km (9 mi) | SE | earthquakes near San Luis Obispo County |
| Kings County, CA | 96 km (60 mi) | NE | earthquakes near Kings County |
| Monterey County, CA | 108 km (67 mi) | NW | earthquakes near Monterey County |
| Santa Barbara County, CA | 115 km (72 mi) | SSE | earthquakes near Santa Barbara County |
Places and coordinates from the US Census Bureau Gazetteer (2024). Distances are from the epicentre.
Aftershocks so far
54 earthquakes have been recorded within 50 km since this one.
- 1.0 7 km SW of Atascadero, CA
- 1.3 14 km WSW of Lake Nacimiento, CA
- 2.1 8 km SW of Atascadero, CA
- 1.4 12 km WNW of Templeton, CA
- 2.4 13 km E of Santa Margarita, CA
- 2.0 5 km NE of Santa Margarita, CA
- 1.5 3 km N of Cholame, CA
- 1.1 7 km SW of Atascadero, CA
- 1.3 7 km W of Templeton, CA
- 1.4 8 km W of Templeton, CA
- 1.3 8 km W of Templeton, CA
- 1.9 15 km WNW of Templeton, CA
- 2.3 13 km W of Lake Nacimiento, CA
- 2.6 12 km W of Lake Nacimiento, CA
- 2.2 1 km WSW 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
- 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.