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M1.6 Depth: 7.9 km

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

UTC time: 2026-08-16 01:44:50 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

A magnitude M1.6 earthquake was recorded near Santa Barbara County, California (United States) on August 16, 2026 at 01:44 UTC. With a focal depth of about 8 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 USGS. United States: 166 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M3.7.

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 7.9 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 7.9 km
Shallow
7.9 km
7.9 km — shallower than the regional average (15.4 km)
Regional average: 15.4 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: 323 km ·Maar(s) ·Elevation: 752 m ·Last eruption: -150 ·United States
  • Mammoth Mountain
    Distance: 334 km ·Lava dome(s) ·Elevation: 3'369 m ·Last eruption: 1260 ·United States
  • Mono-Inyo Craters
    Distance: 353 km ·Lava dome(s) ·Elevation: 2'796 m ·Last eruption: 1380 ·United States
  • Mono Lake Volcanic Field
    Distance: 374 km ·Volcanic field ·Elevation: 2'121 m ·Last eruption: 1790 ·United States
  • Salton Buttes
    Distance: 398 km ·Lava dome(s) ·Elevation: -40 m ·Last eruption: 210 ·United States

Historic earthquake map · United States

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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

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

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