M4.4 Earthquake near Frazier Park, United States — 12 July 2026, 10:38 UTC
A light earthquake of magnitude 4.4 was recorded near Frazier Park, United States on , with an epicentre 4 km south of Frazier Park, at a focal depth of 9.0 km. It ranked as the 21st strongest of 7283 earthquakes recorded in the United States in the preceding 30 days.
Time (UTC): 2026-07-12 10:38:05
Time (your timezone): —
Magnitude: 4.4 (light)
Focal depth: 9.0 km (shallow)
Epicentre: 34.7844, -118.9490
Location: 4 km S of Frazier Park, California
Country: United States
USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Not linked
Review status: Automatic
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 4.4 earthquake radiates roughly 60 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 298, which is below 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.
Where was the epicentre?
The epicentre was located at 34.7844, -118.9490 — 4 km south of Frazier Park. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 1.1 earthquake 35 km southeast of here on 24 August 2026.
Why the 9 km depth matters
At 9 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.
What does the tsunami information flag mean?
The USGS record does not carry a link to NOAA tsunami information. That field is not an all-clear and does not state whether a tsunami occurred. In this case, a damaging tsunami would be less likely because at M4.4 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; it occurred inland rather than beneath the sea floor. For an active coastal alert, use tsunami.gov or your local warning authority.
How earthquakes generate tsunamis, and what the alert levels mean →
Aftershocks and local seismic history
239 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 4.3.
10 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 4.4 event near Avenal on 14 February 2025. This M4.4 event released a comparable amount of energy to that event.
How long aftershock sequences last, and how large they get →
Where this event sits in the record
This earthquake is part of the July 2026 worldwide record, and of earthquakes in the United States during July 2026. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.
Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre
- M1.1 earthquake near Castaic, United States — (35 km SE)
- M1.8 earthquake near Malibu, CA — (81 km S)
- M1.4 earthquake near California City — (93 km ENE)
- M1.2 earthquake near Johannesburg, CA — (119 km ENE)
- M1.1 earthquake near Johannesburg, CA — (120 km ENE)
- M2.1 earthquake near Johannesburg, CA — (120 km ENE)
- M0.9 earthquake near Inyokern, CA — (136 km NE)
- M1.0 earthquake near Little Lake, CA — (144 km NE)
- M0.3 earthquake near Ridgecrest, CA — (161 km NE)
- M1.1 earthquake near Olancha, CA — (163 km NNE)
Other recent earthquakes in the United States
- M1.0 earthquake near Coso Junction, United States —
- M0.7 earthquake near Cobb, United States —
- M1.9 earthquake near Chickaloon, United States —
- M1.1 earthquake near The Geysers, United States —
- M1.6 earthquake near Coso Junction, United States —
- M1.6 earthquake near Chase, United States —
- M1.2 earthquake near Gardendale, United States —
- M0.3 earthquake near Julian, United States —
- M1.6 earthquake near Olancha, United States —
- M2.8 earthquake near Toms Place, United States —
Other magnitude 4 earthquakes worldwide
- M4.7 earthquake near Pagan region, Northern Mariana Islands —
- M4.5 earthquake near Houma, Tonga —
- M4.5 earthquake near Tinogasta, Argentina —
- M4.4 earthquake near Sipí, Colombia —
- M4.7 earthquake near Ruteng, Indonesia —
- M4.6 earthquake near Ruteng, Indonesia —
- M4.2 earthquake near San Antonio de los Cobres, Argentina —
- M4.7 earthquake near Ruteng, Indonesia —
Questions about this earthquake
How strong is a magnitude 4.4 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 4.4 earthquake radiates roughly 60 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
How deep was the earthquake near Frazier Park?
At 9 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.
Was the M4.4 earthquake near Frazier Park felt?
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.
What does the USGS tsunami field mean for this event?
The USGS record does not carry a link to NOAA tsunami information. That field is not an all-clear and does not state whether a tsunami occurred. In this case, a damaging tsunami would be less likely because at M4.4 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; it occurred inland rather than beneath the sea floor. For an active coastal alert, use tsunami.gov or your local warning authority.
Have there been aftershocks?
239 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 4.3.
How often do earthquakes happen near Frazier Park?
10 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 4.4 event near Avenal on 14 February 2025. This M4.4 event released a comparable amount of energy to that event.