The February 27, 1972 earthquake
M5.2near Soledad, California
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake 5.0 miles deep, centred in San Benito County. The 322nd strongest in California’s record since 1900, and the strongest within 50 miles since a magnitude 5.4 on September 14, 1963.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.2
- moment magnitude (mw)
- Depth
- 5.0 mi
- 8.0 km below the surface
- Local time
- Sunday, February 27, 1972
- 14:13 PST; 22:13 UTC
- In California’s record
- 322nd
- strongest of 97,065 since 1900
USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, event ushis3186 (“25 km NE of Soledad, California”). 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
- San Benito CountyCA · inside
- Monterey CountyCA · 8.8 mi
- Fresno CountyCA · 16.2 mi
- Merced CountyCA · 16.2 mi
- Santa Clara CountyCA · 29.0 mi
- Santa Cruz CountyCA · 36.1 mi
- Stanislaus CountyCA · 40.9 mi
- Madera CountyCA · 41.3 mi
Cities, largest first
- SalinasCA · 31.5 mi
- GilroyCA · 41.5 mi
- WatsonvilleCA · 45.5 mi
- Los BanosCA · 37.9 mi
- HollisterCA · 26.9 mi
- SeasideCA · 40.5 mi
- MontereyCA · 44.0 mi
- SoledadCA · 14.9 mi
- MarinaCA · 39.6 mi
- GreenfieldCA · 17.9 mi
- Pacific GroveCA · 46.5 mi
- King CityCA · 23.4 mi
Earthquakes around the epicentre
2,915 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
- July 1, 1911M6.5
- May 25, 1905M6.1
- April 8, 1961M5.9
- July 25, 1926M5.8
- August 6, 1916M5.8
- March 10, 1910M5.8
- April 8, 1961M5.5
- June 24, 1939M5.5
- September 14, 1963M5.4
- March 2, 1959M5.3
USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog. Local time is the time zone of the county nearest the epicentre. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them.