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M0.5 Depth: 10.8 km

M0.5 Earthquake near 9 km E of Palomar Observatory, CA (United States)

UTC time: 2025-12-24 10:20:26 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

A magnitude M0.5 earthquake was recorded near 9 km E of Palomar Observatory, CA (United States) on December 24, 2025 at 10:20 UTC. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 11 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Events of this size typically go unnoticed.

The event was recorded by USGS. United States: over the past 24 hours, QuakeMap24 logged 192 earthquakes, the strongest at M4.7.

Details

Magnitude
M0.5
Depth
10.8 km
UTC time
2025-12-24 10:20:26 UTC
Local time
—
Country
United States
City
California
Source
usgs
Coordinates
33.37050, -116.76350
Temperature
16.1°C

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 10.8 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 10.8 km
Shallow
10.8 km
10.8 km — shallower than 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: 108 km ·Lava dome(s) ·Elevation: -40 m ·Last eruption: 210 ·United States
  • Pinacate
    Distance: 349 km ·Volcanic field ·Elevation: 1'183 m ·Mexico
  • Ubehebe Craters
    Distance: 411 km ·Maar(s) ·Elevation: 752 m ·Last eruption: -150 ·United States
  • San Luis, Isla
    Distance: 439 km ·Tuff cone ·Elevation: 183 m ·Last eruption: -1141 ·Mexico
  • Uinkaret Field
    Distance: 471 km ·Volcanic field ·Elevation: 1'555 m ·Last eruption: 1100 ·United States
  • Jaraguay Volcanic Field
    Distance: 498 km ·Volcanic field ·Elevation: 960 m ·Mexico

Historic earthquake map · United States

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Country statistics · United States

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

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