Earthquake Information
Chronological Earthquake Index
Like the clickable image, this list does not feature every earthquake ever recorded in southern California above a certain magnitude; these are selected events and they do not represent a complete list. Catalogs of all southern California events recorded since 1932 can be accessed elsewhere.
The earthquakes which are listed here are marked with colored squares indicating magnitude. The scale is as follows:
Under magnitude 4.5
Magnitude 4.5 to 5.4
Magnitude 5.5 to 6.4
Magnitude 6.5 to 7.4
Magnitude 7.5 and greater
= photos = movie
For various reasons, not all of the earthquakes listed here are featured on the clickable image. Typically, the most common name for an event is given here, but some earthquakes may be referred to with names not listed here.
Before 1900
1769 LA Basin Earthquake (NEIC)
1800 San Diego Earthquake (NEIC)
1812 Wrightwood (or San Juan Capistrano) Earthquake (SCEDC)
1812 Santa Barbara Earthquake (SCEDC)
1812 Santa Barbara Earthquake (NEIC)
1852 Volcano Lake Earthquake (SCEDC)
1857 Fort Tejon Earthquake (SCEDC)
1857 Fort Tejon Earthquake (NEIC)
1858 San Bernadino Earthquake (NEIC)
1862 San Diego Earthquake (NEIC)
1872 Owens Valley Earthquake (NEIC)
1881 Parkfield Earthquake (NEIC)
1883 Santa Barbara Channel Earthquake (NEIC)
1890 San Jacinto or Elsinore Fault Region Earthquake (NEIC)
1892 San Jacinto or Elsinore Fault Region Earthquake (NEIC)
1892 Laguna Salada Earthquake (SCEDC)
1892 Imperial Valley Earthquake (NEIC)
1899 Cajon Pass Earthquake (SCEDC)
1899 San Jacinto Earthquake (SCEDC)
1900-1929
1901 Parkfield Earthquake (USGS - Historical Earthquake Summary)
1906 Imperial Valley Earthquake (USGS - Historical Earthquake Summary)
1908 Death Valley Region Earthquake (USGS - Historical Earthquake Summary)
1910 Elsinore Earthquake (SCEDC)
1915 Imperial Valley Earthquake (SCEDC)
1916 South of Death Valley Earthquake (USGS - Historical Earthquake Summary)
1918 San Jacinto Earthquake (SCEDC)
1922 Parkfield Earthquake (USGS - Historical Earthquake Summary)
1923 North San Jacinto Fault Earthquake (SCEDC)
1925 Santa Barbara Earthquake (SCEDC)
1927 Lompoc Earthquake (SCEDC)
1927 Lompoc Earthquake (NEIC)
1930-1939
1933 Long Beach Earthquake (SCEDC)
1933 Long Beach Earthquake (NEIC)
1934 Parkfield Earthquake (USGS - Historical Earthquake Summary)
1937 San Jacinto Fault ("Terwilliger Valley") Earthquake (SCEDC)
1940-1949
1940 Imperial Valley Earthquake (SCEDC)
1941 Santa Barbara Earthquake (SCEDC)
1941 Torrance-Gardena Earthquakes (SCEDC)
1942 Fish Creek Mountains Earthquake (SCEDC)
1946 Walker Pass Earthquake (SCEDC)
1947 Manix Earthquake (SCEDC)
1948 Desert Hot Springs Earthquake (SCEDC)
1950-1959
1952 Kern County Earthquake (SCEDC)
1952 Kern County Earthquake (NEIC)
1952 Bakersfield Earthquake (SCEDC)
1954 San Jacinto Fault Earthquake (SCEDC)
1960-1969
1966 Imperial Fault Earthquake (SCEDC)
1966 Parkfield Earthquake (SCEDC)
1968 Borrego Mountain Earthquake (SCEDC)
1970-1979
1970 Lytle Creek Earthquake (SCEDC)
1971 San Fernando (Sylmar) Earthquake (SCEDC)
1971 San Fernando (Sylmar) Earthquake (NEIC)
1973 Point Mugu Earthquake (SCEDC)
1975 Galway Lake Earthquake (SCEDC)
1978 Santa Barbara Earthquake (SCEDC)
1979 Malibu Earthquake (SCEDC)
1979 Imperial Valley Earthquake (SCEDC)
1980-1989
1980 White Wash Earthquake (SCEDC)
1982 "Anza Gap" Earthquake (SCEDC)
1986 North Palm Springs Earthquake (SCEDC)
1986 Oceanside Earthquake (SCEDC)
1987 Elmore Ranch/Superstition Hills Earthquakes (SCEDC)
1987 Whittier Narrows Earthquake (SCEDC)
1988 Tejon Ranch Earthquake (SCEDC)
1988 Upland Earthquake (SCEDC)
1988 Pasadena Earthquake (SCEDC)
1989 Malibu Earthquake (SCEDC)
1989 Newport Beach Earthquake (SCEDC)
1989 Montebello Earthquake (SCEDC)
1990-1999
1990 Upland Earthquake (SCEDC)
1991 Sierra Madre Earthquake (SCEDC)
1992 Joshua Tree Earthquake (SCEDC)
1992 Landers Earthquake (SCEDC)
1992 Big Bear Earthquake (SCEDC)
1992 Mojave (Garlock) Earthquake (SCEDC)
1993 Wheeler Ridge Earthquake (SCEDC)
1994 Northridge Earthquake (SCEDC)
1994 Northridge Earthquake (USGS)
1995 Ridgecrest Earthquakes (SCEDC)
1996 Coso Earthquake (SCEDC)
1997 Calico Earthquake (SCEDC)
1998 Coso Earthquakes (SCEDC)
1998 Crafton Hills (Redlands) Earthquake (SCEDC)
1998 San Bernardino Earthquake (TriNet)
1998 Whiskey Springs (Big Bear City) Earthquake (TriNet)
1999 Hector Mine Earthquake (SCEDC)
2000-Present
2001 West Hollywood Earthquake (USGS)
2001 Anza Earthquake (SCSN)
2001 Compton Earthquake (SCSN)
2002 Simi Valley Earthquake (SCSN)
2002 Laguna Salada Earthquake (SCSN)
2002 Yorba Linda Earthquake (SCSN)
2002 Big Bear Earthquake (CISN)
2004 Offshore Earthquake (South of Coronado, CA) (CISN)
2004 Arvin Earthquake (CISN)
2005 Wheeler Ridge Earthquake (SCSN)
2005 Anza Earthquake (SCSN)
2005 Yucaipa Earthquake (SCSN)
2005 Obsidian Butte Earthquake Swarm (SCSN)
2005 Mettler Earthquake (SCSN)
2008 Chino Hills Earthquake (SCSN)
2009 Bombay Beach Earthquake Swarm (SCSN)
2009 Inglewood Earthquake (SCSN)
2009 Northern Baja California Earthquake (SCSN)
2010 Rosarito Baja California Earthquake (SCSN)
2010 Pico Rivera Earthquake (SCSN)
2010 Sierra El Mayor Earthquake (SCSN)
2010 Sierra El Mayor Earthquake (SCEDC)
2019 Ridgecrest Earthquake (SCSN)
2019 Ridgecrest Earthquake (SCEDC)
2020 Lone Pine (SCSN)