Earthquake.now

M4.1 Earthquake near Templeton, United States — 18 November 2025, 17:54 UTC

A light earthquake of magnitude 4.1 was recorded near Templeton, United States on , with an epicentre 8 km west of Templeton, at a focal depth of 5.7 km. It ranked as the 25th strongest of 6019 earthquakes recorded in the United States in the preceding 30 days.

4.1 Light

Time (UTC): 2025-11-18 17:54:30

Time (your timezone): —

Magnitude: 4.1 (light)

Focal depth: 5.7 km (shallow)

Epicentre: 35.5532, -120.7940

Location: 8 km W of Templeton, CA

Country: United States

USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Available

Review status: Reviewed

Source: USGS event page

How strong was this earthquake?

Light earthquakes are widely felt near the epicentre and can rattle windows, dishes and hanging objects. Damage is uncommon and usually limited to cracked plaster or fallen loose items.

A magnitude 4.1 earthquake radiates roughly 22 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 683, which meets the USGS threshold of more than 600 for its significant-earthquake list. The ranking combines magnitude with available Did You Feel It responses and PAGER alert level; it is not a direct measurement of damage.

What the magnitude scale actually measures →

When it happened locally

That is about 09:51 local solar time at the epicentre, during the morning.

This event was shallower than 52% of the 161,355 earthquakes recorded in the United States in our catalogue and stronger than 99% of them.

Where was the epicentre?

The epicentre was located at 35.5532, -120.7940 — 8 km west of Templeton. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 2.0 earthquake 26 km southeast of here on 02 October 2026.

The nearest other settlements in our records are Atascadero (17 km south-southeast), Avenal (82 km east-northeast), Alpaugh (103 km east-northeast) and Aromas (162 km north-northwest).

Why the 6 km depth matters

At 6 km this was a shallow earthquake. Shallow events release their energy close to the surface, so for a given magnitude they produce noticeably stronger shaking — and more damage — than deeper ones. Roughly three quarters of all earthquakes worldwide occur at shallow depths.

This catalogue does not ingest eyewitness responses, so it cannot confirm where this earthquake was felt. Based on magnitude alone, an event this size is often felt across the surrounding area. Its shallow focus makes stronger surface shaking more likely than for a deeper event of the same magnitude.

Read more on how focal depth changes what you feel →

What does the tsunami information flag mean?

The USGS event record links to NOAA tsunami information because this was a large event in an oceanic region. That link flag does not mean a tsunami occurred or that a warning is active. Check tsunami.gov and instructions from your local authority for the current status of your coastline.

How earthquakes generate tsunamis, and what the alert levels mean →

Aftershocks and local seismic history

67 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 3.3.

11 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 4.6 event near Boulder Creek on 02 April 2026. This M4.1 event released about 5.2 times less energy than that event.

648 earthquakes have been recorded within 100 km of this epicentre in the past year, 43 of them in the past 30 days.

How long aftershock sequences last, and how large they get →

Where this event sits in the record

This earthquake is part of the November 2025 worldwide record, and of earthquakes in the United States during November 2025. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.

Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre

Other recent earthquakes in the United States

All recorded earthquakes in the United States →

Other magnitude 4 earthquakes worldwide

All magnitude 4 earthquakes →

Questions about this earthquake

How strong was the earthquake near Templeton?

It measured magnitude 4.1 — a light earthquake. A magnitude 4.1 earthquake radiates roughly 22 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

How deep was the earthquake near Templeton?

The focus was 6 km below the surface, which counts as shallow.

Was the Templeton earthquake felt at the surface?

At magnitude 4.1 and a focal depth of 6 km, shaking would have been concentrated near the epicentre.

When did the earthquake near Templeton happen?

18 November 2025 at 17:54 UTC.

Was there a tsunami?

The USGS record carries a link to NOAA tsunami information for this event. That is not a warning: check your regional tsunami warning centre for any live alert.

Have there been aftershocks?

67 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 3.3.

How often do earthquakes happen near Templeton?

11 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 4.6 event near Boulder Creek on 02 April 2026. This M4.1 event released about 5.2 times less energy than that event.