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M3.0 Depth: 19.1 km

M3.0 Earthquake near Imperial County, California (United States)

UTC time: 2026-05-21 15:39:15 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

On May 21, 2026 at 15:39 UTC, a magnitude M3.0 earthquake occurred near Imperial County, California (United States). With a focal depth of about 19 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. 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: 19.1 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 19.1 km
Shallow
19.1 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: 35 km ·Lava dome(s) ·Elevation: -40 m ·Last eruption: 210 ·United States
  • Pinacate
    Distance: 253 km ·Volcanic field ·Elevation: 1'183 m ·Mexico
  • San Luis, Isla
    Distance: 359 km ·Tuff cone ·Elevation: 183 m ·Last eruption: -1141 ·Mexico
  • Jaraguay Volcanic Field
    Distance: 424 km ·Volcanic field ·Elevation: 960 m ·Mexico
  • Uinkaret Field
    Distance: 455 km ·Volcanic field ·Elevation: 1'555 m ·Last eruption: 1100 ·United States
  • San Francisco Volcanic Field
    Distance: 467 km ·Volcanic field ·Elevation: 3'850 m ·Last eruption: 1075 ·United States

Sources: Smithsonian GVP & USGS

Historic earthquake map · United States

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