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United States · California

M1.6 Earthquake near Kern County, California (United States)

UTC time: 2026-09-23 03:45:44 UTC Local time: —

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About this earthquake

On September 23, 2026 at 03:45 UTC, a magnitude M1.6 earthquake occurred near Kern County, California (United States). The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 6 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Earthquakes of this small magnitude are usually barely noticeable and cause no damage.

The event was recorded by USGS. United States: 180 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M4.0.

Details

ID
5d6d9b9b29e96232460d4b5b5428ec9bf5bd469b
Magnitude
M1.6
Depth
6.1 km
UTC time
2026-09-23 03:45:44 UTC
Local time
—
Country
United States
State
California
City
Kern County
County
Kern County
Source
usgs
Coordinates
35.30333, -117.80383
Temperature
22.1°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 6.1 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 6.1 km
Shallow
6.1 km
6.1 km — shallower than the regional average (15.2 km)
Regional average: 15.2 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

  • Ubehebe Craters
    Distance: 194 km ·Maar(s) ·Elevation: 752 m ·Last eruption: -150 ·United States
  • Mammoth Mountain
    Distance: 281 km ·Lava dome(s) ·Elevation: 3'369 m ·Last eruption: 1260 ·United States
  • Mono-Inyo Craters
    Distance: 299 km ·Lava dome(s) ·Elevation: 2'796 m ·Last eruption: 1380 ·United States
  • Salton Buttes
    Distance: 309 km ·Lava dome(s) ·Elevation: -40 m ·Last eruption: 210 ·United States
  • Mono Lake Volcanic Field
    Distance: 319 km ·Volcanic field ·Elevation: 2'121 m ·Last eruption: 1790 ·United States
  • Uinkaret Field
    Distance: 438 km ·Volcanic field ·Elevation: 1'555 m ·Last eruption: 1100 ·United States

California

Context for this earthquake

23 Sep 2025 – 23 Sep 2026 · M ≥ 2.0 · 2,414 Catalogue entries

Sufficiently reliable matching data are not currently available for a direct comparison. The area profile shows the available records and their limitations.

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Historic earthquake map · United States

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