M1.6 Depth: 3.3 km

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

UTC time: 2026-05-17 21:08:02 UTC Local time:

About this earthquake

A magnitude M1.6 earthquake was recorded near San Benito County, California (United States) on May 17, 2026 at 21:08 UTC. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 3 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Events of this size typically go unnoticed.

The data is provided by USGS and cross-checked across seismological networks. United States: over the past 24 hours, QuakeMap24 logged 153 earthquakes, the strongest at M3.8.

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 3.3 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 3.3 km
Shallow
3.3 km
3.3 km — shallower than the regional average (15.9 km)
Regional average: 15.9 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

  • Mammoth Mountain
    Distance: 216 km ·Lava dome(s) ·Elevation: 3'369 m ·Last eruption: 1260 ·United States
  • Mono-Inyo Craters
    Distance: 228 km ·Lava dome(s) ·Elevation: 2'796 m ·Last eruption: 1380 ·United States
  • Mono Lake Volcanic Field
    Distance: 241 km ·Volcanic field ·Elevation: 2'121 m ·Last eruption: 1790 ·United States
  • Clear Lake Volcanic Field
    Distance: 309 km ·Volcanic field ·Elevation: 1'439 m ·United States
  • Ubehebe Craters
    Distance: 325 km ·Maar(s) ·Elevation: 752 m ·Last eruption: -150 ·United States
  • Soda Lakes
    Distance: 382 km ·Maar(s) ·Elevation: 1'251 m ·United States

Historic earthquake map · United States

Explore recent and long-term earthquake activity in this country. Use filters to narrow down by magnitude, depth, and date range.

Country statistics · United States

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

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