QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.9md

Earthquake near Coalinga, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Coalinga in the 24 hours to 11:06 pm PST (07:06 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 2.9 earthquake was recorded 31 km (20 mi) northwest of Coalinga, CA, at 1:52 pm PDT on 12 July 2026 (20:52 UTC), 15 km deep. 2 people have reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 13 km S of New Idria, CA

94 km (58 mi) SW of Fresno, CA

1:52 pm PDT, Jul 12, 2026 · · 15 km deep · released about 750 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N San Benito County 52 kmMonterey County 60 kmKings County 79 kmMerced County 100 kmSan Luis Obispo County 103 kmFresno County 103 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
1:52 pm PDT on 12 July 2026 ()
Where
31 km (20 mi) northwest of Coalinga, CA · earthquakes near Coalinga
Magnitude
M 2.9 (md)
Depth
15 km below the surface
Felt
2 reports · strongest reported intensity I
Nearest
San Benito County, 52 km NW
Nearest mapped fault
San Andreas 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 110 days ago

This was a small earthquake. Shaking like this is often felt indoors nearby and very rarely causes damage.

At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 30 km (19 mi) from the epicentre. In Coalinga, 31 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 750 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.9 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 20,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 14,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 1.3× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.9 about 750 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 2023-08-10 — about 110 times the energy of this one.

Before 2016, the USGS record lists 20 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km; the five largest:

  1. 6.7 The 1983 Coalinga, California Earthquake · 31 km ESE of this epicentre
  2. 6.4 1901 Parkfield, California Earthquake · 36 km SSE of this epicentre
  3. 6.1 Northwest of Huron, California · 23 km NNE of this epicentre
  4. 5.8 29 km NE of San Lucas, California · 11 km W of this epicentre
  5. 5.6 8 km SW of Huron, California · 48 km ESE 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 36.2968, -120.6523. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
San Benito County, CA 52 km (32 mi) NW earthquakes near San Benito County
Monterey County, CA 60 km (37 mi) W earthquakes near Monterey County
Kings County, CA 79 km (49 mi) ESE earthquakes near Kings County
Merced County, CA 100 km (62 mi) N earthquakes near Merced County
San Luis Obispo County, CA 103 km (64 mi) S earthquakes near San Luis Obispo County
Fresno County, CA 103 km (64 mi) ENE earthquakes near Fresno County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.9 7 km SE of Pinnacles, CA
  2. 1.9 7 km SE of Pinnacles, CA
  3. 1.6 11 km SW of Huron, CA
  4. 2.3 7 km SSE of Pinnacles, CA
  5. 2.4 10 km SE of Pinnacles, CA
  6. 1.8 12 km SE of Pinnacles, CA
  7. 1.7 7 km WNW of San Ardo, CA
  8. 1.9 9 km ESE of Coalinga, CA
  9. 1.9 22 km NE of San Ardo, CA
  10. 1.8 16 km E of New Idria, CA
  11. 2.0 22 km NNE of San Ardo, CA
  12. 1.6 2 km ESE of Pinnacles, CA
  13. 1.5 21 km NE of San Lucas, CA
  14. 1.6 12 km E of Coalinga, CA
  15. 1.7 11 km SE 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.