Small magnitude 2.8 quake hits 8 miles northwest of Watsonville, California, United States around noon

A magnitude 2.8 earthquake near Watsonville, Santa Cruz County, California, USA, was reported only 10 minutes ago by the United States Geological Survey, considered the key international and national agency that monitors seismic activity in the US. The earthquake occurred at a shallow depth of 8.5 miles beneath the epicenter around noon on Sunday, January 4th, 2026, at 1:14 pm local time. The exact magnitude, epicenter, and depth of the quake might be revised within the next few hours or minutes as seismologists review data and refine their calculations, or as other agencies issue their report.
A second report was later issued by The Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS), which listed it as a magnitude 2.8 earthquake as well. A third agency, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), reported the same quake at magnitude 2.9.
Towns or cities near the epicenter where the quake might have been felt as very weak shaking include Corralitos (pop. 2,300) located 2 miles from the epicenter, Watsonville (pop. 53,600) 8 miles away, and Live Oak (pop. 17,200) 9 miles away. In Morgan Hill (pop. 42,900, 12 miles away), Santa Cruz (pop. 64,200, 12 miles away), Gilroy (pop. 53,200, 14 miles away), San Jose (pop. 997,400, 23 miles away), Santa Clara (pop. 126,200, 24 miles away), and Salinas (pop. 157,400, 25 miles away), the quake was probably not felt.

Earthquake data:
Date & time: Jan 4, 2026 01:14 pm (GMT -8) local time (4 Jan 2026 21:14 GMT)
Magnitude: 2.8
Depth: 13.71 km
Epicenter latitude / longitude: 37.02°N / 121.82°W (Santa Cruz County, California, United States)
Primary data source: USGS
https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/earthquake/news/291082/Small-magnitude-28-quake-hits-8-miles-northwest-of-Watsonville-California-United-States-around-noon-.html