The August 15, 1945 earthquake
M5.8near Westmorland, CA
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake 3.7 miles deep, centred in Imperial County. The 126th strongest in California’s record since 1900, and the strongest within 50 miles since a magnitude 6.6 on October 21, 1942.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.8
- local magnitude (ml)
- Depth
- 3.7 mi
- 6.0 km below the surface
- Local time
- Wednesday, August 15, 1945
- 10:56 PPT; 17:56 UTC
- In California’s record
- 126th
- strongest of 97,065 since 1900
USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, event ci3360494 (“5km N of Westmorland, CA”). The USGS event page carries the ShakeMap, felt reports and the official summary.
Counties and cities within 50 miles
Distance from the epicentre to each county boundary (zero when inside) and to each city centre.
Counties
- Imperial CountyCA · inside
- San Diego CountyCA · 26.1 mi
Earthquakes around the epicentre
2,816 earthquakes of magnitude 3 or more within 50 miles of this epicentre since 1973.
Earlier earthquakes of magnitude 5 or more within 50 miles, strongest first
- May 18, 1940M6.9
- October 21, 1942M6.6
- April 18, 1906M6.3
- June 22, 1915M6.0
- March 25, 1937M6.0
- January 1, 1927M6.0
- June 22, 1915M5.9
- November 7, 1923M5.7
- September 29, 1916M5.7
- October 21, 1942M5.6
USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog. Local time is the time zone of the county nearest the epicentre. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them.