M3.0 earthquake 49 km SSW of Benito García (El Zorrillo), Baja California, Mexico
A magnitude 3.0 earthquake struck 49 km SSW of Benito García (El Zorrillo), Baja California, Mexico at 11:44 local time (18:44 UTC) on 17 Oct 2026, at a depth of 0 km, according to USGS.
Data: USGS · updated 2026-10-18 19:23 UTC · reviewed
- Magnitude
- 3.0minor
local magnitude (Richter) (ml) - Depth
- -0.4 km
- Status
- Reviewed
- Origin time
- 2026-10-17 18:44:32 UTC
- Local: 17 Oct 2026, 11:44:32 (America/Tijuana)
- Epicentre
- 31.287° N, 116.772° W
Circles show this event and others within 30 km from 7 days before to 30 days after. Lines: plate boundaries and GEM active faults. Open on the live map
Nearby places
| Place | Distance | Est. shaking |
|---|---|---|
| Benito García (El Zorrillo)Baja California, Mexico · pop. 6,598 | 49 km | INot felt |
| Rodolfo Sánchez TaboadaBaja California, Mexico · pop. 22,957 | 52 km | INot felt |
| EnsenadaBaja California, Mexico · pop. 443,807 | 67 km | INot felt |
| RosaritoBaja California, Mexico · pop. 100,660 | 122 km | INot felt |
| La JoyaBaja California, Mexico · pop. 26,860 | 130 km | INot felt |
| TijuanaBaja California, Mexico · pop. 1,922,523 | 137 km | INot felt |
| Chula VistaCalifornia, United States · pop. 265,757 | 153 km | INot felt |
| San DiegoCalifornia, United States · pop. 1,404,452 | 163 km | INot felt |
Shaking is an estimate from the intensity prediction equation of Allen, Wald & Worden (2012), not an observation. Local ground and buildings can change it by a level or more. Likely felt out to about 16 km.
Every agency's solution
Agencies locate earthquakes with their own stations and methods, so their numbers differ. We match reports of the same event by time, distance and magnitude and show them side by side. The headline uses USGS · CI, which has been reviewed by an analyst.
| Agency | Magnitude | Depth | Epicentre | Time offset | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USGS · CIheadlineSouthern California Seismic Network via U.S. Geological Survey | 3.0 ml | -0.4 km | 31.29° N, 116.77° W | – | Reviewed |
How big was it?
Often felt by people at rest close to the epicentre, rarely causes damage.
It released roughly the energy of 548 kg of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step means about 32 times more energy and 10 times larger waves on a seismogram. Depth matters too: at 0 km this was a shallow earthquake, which is felt more strongly at the surface than a deeper one of the same size.
M3.0 releases about 36× the energy of M2.0, and its waves are about 11× taller on a seismogram. Energy: 548 kg of TNT vs 15 kg of TNT.
Each square is the energy of one M2.0. Energy from log₁₀E = 1.5M + 4.8.
Aftershocks and nearby activity
No later earthquakes have been recorded within 30 km so far. Aftershock rates usually fall off roughly in proportion to 1/time.
Did you feel it?
Reports from people help show where shaking was strong. They are anonymous and shown here in aggregate.
Reports close 14 days after an earthquake.
Reports on SeismoAtlas
No reports yet.
Event id ci41348599. First recorded here 18 Oct 2026, 19:56:00 UTC. Solutions: USGS · CI (usgs:ci41348599). Cite as: SeismoAtlas, “M3.0 earthquake 49 km SSW of Benito García (El Zorrillo), Baja California, Mexico”, https://seismoatlas.com/earthquake/ci41348599-m3-0-earthquake-49-km-ssw-of-benito-garcia-el-zorrillo-baja-california-mexico, data from USGS.
JSON: /api/v1/events/ci41348599. SeismoAtlas is not an official warning service.