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M1.5 Depth: 14.8 km

M1.5 Earthquake near Rancho Santa Margarita (United States)

UTC time: 2026-01-03 18:23:50 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

A magnitude M1.5 earthquake was recorded near Rancho Santa Margarita (United States) on January 3, 2026 at 18:23 UTC. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 15 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Events of this size typically go unnoticed.

The event was recorded by SCEDC. United States: over the past 24 hours, QuakeMap24 logged 184 earthquakes, the strongest at M3.7.

Details

Magnitude
M1.5
Depth
14.8 km
UTC time
2026-01-03 18:23:50 UTC
Local time
—
Country
United States
City
Rancho Santa Margarita
Source
scedc
Coordinates
33.66683, -117.54250
Temperature
16.2°C

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 14.8 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 14.8 km
Shallow
14.8 km
14.8 km — close to the regional average (15.7 km)
Regional average: 15.7 km
Why depth matters

Shallow quakes release energy near the surface — shaking is felt more strongly and damage potential is higher.

Depth classes per USGS

Volcanoes nearby

  • Salton Buttes
    Distance: 186 km ·Lava dome(s) ·Elevation: -40 m ·Last eruption: 210 ·United States
  • Ubehebe Craters
    Distance: 373 km ·Maar(s) ·Elevation: 752 m ·Last eruption: -150 ·United States
  • Pinacate
    Distance: 429 km ·Volcanic field ·Elevation: 1'183 m ·Mexico
  • Mammoth Mountain
    Distance: 461 km ·Lava dome(s) ·Elevation: 3'369 m ·Last eruption: 1260 ·United States
  • Mono-Inyo Craters
    Distance: 479 km ·Lava dome(s) ·Elevation: 2'796 m ·Last eruption: 1380 ·United States

Historic earthquake map · United States

Open history map
Explore recent and long-term earthquake activity in this country. Use filters to narrow down by magnitude, depth, and date range.

Country statistics · United States

Country overview
View earthquake KPIs, strongest and latest events, and averages for this country.

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