Early in the morning, a 2.3 magnitude earthquake shook Searles Valley on Monday

A 2.3 magnitude earthquake struck near Searles Valley in Southern California early Monday, March 23, 2026, following smaller earthquakes earlier in the area.

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake occurred at 1:36 a.m. Pacific time at a shallow depth of 4.5 kilometers. The epicenter was about 13 kilometers west-southwest of Searles Valley.

Nearby towns included Trona, 15.2 kilometers east-northeast; Ridgecrest, 17.3 kilometers southwest; and Inyokern, 26.2 kilometers west-southwest.

Smaller earthquakes in Searles Valley

The 2.3 magnitude earthquake followed two smaller tremors recorded on March 22. One of them had a magnitude of 1.3 and occurred about 17 kilometers southeast of Searles Valley, at a depth of 7 kilometers.

The second quake, with a magnitude of 1.2, occurred 12 kilometers south-southwest of the main epicenter at a depth of 2.5 kilometers, according to seismic data from the US Geological Survey.

Seismic activity in Searles Valley is driven by movements between the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate. The area lies within a network of boundary faults that accommodate moving plates.

The area has experienced large earthquakes in the past, including the 2019 Ridgecrest sequence, and is prone to periodic earthquake swarms caused by changing pressures in the Earth’s crust.

Additional earthquake activity in California

Separately, a 2.2 magnitude earthquake struck near Pleasant Hill on March 22 at approximately 2:45 PM PT, at a depth of 10.2 kilometers.

The quake was registered as a Level 3 earthquake on the USGS website “Did You Feel It?” scale of severity, indicating that some residents felt it inside their homes. As of the most recent reports, 16 residents have submitted poetry reports to the USGS website.

Nearby towns include Walnut Creek, 3.8 kilometers southwest; Concord, 4.5 kilometers to the northeast; Pacheco, 6.9 km north-northwest; Clayton is 8.7 kilometers east.

The Pleasant Hill area lies along the Concord-Green Valley Fault, a right-sided strike-slip fault where horizontal movement between crustal blocks occurs.

The fault has a slow slip rate and a low probability of causing a major earthquake in the near term, but it remains an active part of the regional fault system.

According to the USGS, magnitude measures the total energy released by an earthquake and is consistent across locations. In contrast, intensity describes how strongly vibration is felt in different areas and can vary depending on distance and local conditions.

The earthquakes were minor, and no injuries or damage were reported. Low-level seismic activity like this is common in California, reflecting constant movement along the state’s numerous fault systems.

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