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M1.6 Depth: 2.9 km

M1.6 Earthquake near Chula Vista, California (United States)

UTC time: 2026-05-21 20:37:47 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

A magnitude M1.6 earthquake was recorded near Chula Vista, California (United States) on May 21, 2026 at 20:37 UTC. With a focal depth of about 3 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Earthquakes of this small magnitude are usually barely noticeable and cause no damage.

The event was recorded by SCEDC. United States: over the past 24 hours, QuakeMap24 logged 173 earthquakes, the strongest at M4.1.

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 2.9 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 2.9 km
Shallow
2.9 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: 143 km ·Lava dome(s) ·Elevation: -40 m ·Last eruption: 210 ·United States
  • Pinacate
    Distance: 338 km ·Volcanic field ·Elevation: 1'183 m ·Mexico
  • San Luis, Isla
    Distance: 381 km ·Tuff cone ·Elevation: 183 m ·Last eruption: -1141 ·Mexico
  • Jaraguay Volcanic Field
    Distance: 434 km ·Volcanic field ·Elevation: 960 m ·Mexico
  • Ubehebe Craters
    Distance: 493 km ·Maar(s) ·Elevation: 752 m ·Last eruption: -150 ·United States

Sources: Smithsonian GVP & USGS

Historic earthquake map · United States

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Country statistics · United States

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