M1.5 Depth: 1.2 km

M1.5 Earthquake near Imperial County, California (United States)

UTC time: 2026-05-18 10:23:21 UTC Local time:

About this earthquake

On May 18, 2026 at 10:23 UTC, a magnitude M1.5 earthquake occurred near Imperial County, California (United States). The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 1 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Events of this size typically go unnoticed.

The event was recorded by SCEDC. United States: 167 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M3.6.

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 1.2 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 1.2 km
Shallow
1.2 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: 33 km ·Lava dome(s) ·Elevation: -40 m ·Last eruption: 210 ·United States
  • Pinacate
    Distance: 264 km ·Volcanic field ·Elevation: 1'183 m ·Mexico
  • San Luis, Isla
    Distance: 371 km ·Tuff cone ·Elevation: 183 m ·Last eruption: -1141 ·Mexico
  • Jaraguay Volcanic Field
    Distance: 435 km ·Volcanic field ·Elevation: 960 m ·Mexico
  • Uinkaret Field
    Distance: 450 km ·Volcanic field ·Elevation: 1'555 m ·Last eruption: 1100 ·United States
  • Ubehebe Craters
    Distance: 463 km ·Maar(s) ·Elevation: 752 m ·Last eruption: -150 ·United States

Sources: Smithsonian GVP & USGS

Historic earthquake map · United States

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