QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.6md

Earthquake near Los Banos, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Los Banos in the 24 hours to 4:00 am PST (12:00 UTC). The last one was M 3.1, 36 km (22 mi) WNW, at 9:18 pm PDT on 21 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 9 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Los Banos

This page: a magnitude 1.6 earthquake was recorded 40 km (25 mi) south of Los Banos, CA, at 6:20 am PST on 16 February 2026 (14:20 UTC), 4.0 km deep.

USGS: 32 km SSW of South Dos Palos, CA

6:20 am PST, Feb 16, 2026 · · 4.0 km deep · released about 7.3 lb of TNT

Every earthquake near Los Banos Felt it? Tell USGS Check my area
10 km30 km60 km120 km N San Benito County 27 kmMerced County 55 kmMonterey County 69 kmStanislaus County 97 kmSanta Clara County 98 kmFresno County 102 kmMadera County 109 kmKings County 112 kmSanta Cruz County 113 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
6:20 am PST on 16 February 2026 ()
Where
40 km (25 mi) south of Los Banos, CA · earthquakes near Los Banos
Magnitude
M 1.6 (md)
Depth
4.0 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
San Benito County, 27 km WSW
Nearest mapped fault
Ortigalita fault, 8 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 261 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 10 km (6 mi) from the epicentre. In Los Banos, 40 km away, the estimate is intensity I (not felt). 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 7.3 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.6 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 2,100,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 1,500,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 130× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.6 about 7.3 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 4.7 on 2019-10-15 — about 48,000 times the energy of this one.

Before 2016, the USGS record lists 12 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 6.1 Northwest of Huron, California · 29 km SE of this epicentre
  2. 5.9 10 km SE of Tres Pinos, California · 38 km W of this epicentre
  3. 5.8 Near Paicines, California · 40 km W of this epicentre
  4. 5.8 29 km NE of San Lucas, California · 45 km S of this epicentre
  5. 5.5 12 km S of Tres Pinos, California · 45 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 36.7007, -120.8000. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
San Benito County, CA 27 km (17 mi) WSW earthquakes near San Benito County
Merced County, CA 55 km (34 mi) N earthquakes near Merced County
Monterey County, CA 69 km (43 mi) SW earthquakes near Monterey County
Stanislaus County, CA 97 km (61 mi) N earthquakes near Stanislaus County
Santa Clara County, CA 98 km (61 mi) NW earthquakes near Santa Clara County
Fresno County, CA 102 km (64 mi) E earthquakes near Fresno County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.6 11 km S of Tres Pinos, CA
  2. 1.5 1 km SSW of Pinnacles, CA
  3. 1.6 8 km SW of New Idria, CA
  4. 2.2 11 km SE of Pinnacles, CA
  5. 1.9 4 km NW of Pinnacles, CA
  6. 1.8 1 km SSE of Pinnacles, CA
  7. 1.9 7 km NE of Pinnacles, CA
  8. 1.6 29 km NNW of New Idria, CA
  9. 1.5 15 km SSE of Tres Pinos, CA
  10. 1.9 10 km SE of Pinnacles, CA
  11. 2.0 5 km NNE of New Idria, CA
  12. 1.8 8 km WNW of New Idria, CA
  13. 1.9 12 km NW of Pinnacles, CA
  14. 1.9 15 km N of New Idria, CA
  15. 1.6 10 km NNE of Pinnacles, 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.