California earthquakes

M1.5 earthquake 2 km W of Benbow, California

A magnitude 1.5 earthquake struck 2 km W of Benbow, California on Sat, May 13, 1978, 5:39 PM PDT (00:39 UTC), 16 km (10 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M4.6 32 km SW of Ferndale, California. This one was a foreshock.

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Map

Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

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The earthquake

Magnitude
1.5 (md), micro
Local time
UTC
1978-05-14 00:39:51 UTC
Depth
16.0 km (9.9 mi), shallow
Epicenter
40.072° N, 123.811° W
Tsunami flag
No
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

Did you feel it?

No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Location uncertainty
About 2.2 km horizontally, 1.0 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.10
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
306°, poorly surrounded by stations
Stations used
7

Nearest places

Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 112 in the 60 days after this one and 50 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 1.629 km SW of Ferndale, California · 17670 days ago · 19 km deep · 66 km away
  2. 3.230 km SW of Ferndale, California · 17668 days ago · 28 km deep · 64 km away
  3. 1.613 km WSW of Ferndale, California · 17667 days ago · 22 km deep · 70 km away
  4. 1.92 km SW of Miranda, California · 17667 days ago · 13 km deep · 17 km away
  5. 2.731 km SW of Ferndale, California · 17667 days ago · 28 km deep · 64 km away
  6. 2.422 km SW of Ferndale, California · 17667 days ago · 22 km deep · 64 km away
  7. 2.734 km SW of Ferndale, California · 17666 days ago · 22 km deep · 64 km away
  8. 2.933 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 17666 days ago · 24 km deep · 63 km away
  9. 2.34 km NNW of Redway, California · 17666 days ago · 21 km deep · 10 km away
  10. 2.229 km SW of Ferndale, California · 17666 days ago · 18 km deep · 66 km away
  11. 3.023 km SSE of Douglas City, California · 17665 days ago · 4 km deep · 95 km away
  12. 1.92 km NNE of Hayfork, California · 17664 days ago · 14 km deep · 78 km away
  13. 1.625 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 17664 days ago · 24 km deep · 63 km away
  14. 2.07 km E of Hayfork, California · 17663 days ago · 21 km deep · 80 km away
  15. 2.922 km NNW of Shelter Cove, California · 17663 days ago · 0 km deep · 35 km away
  16. 3.743 km SW of Ferndale, California · 17663 days ago · 22 km deep · 76 km away
  17. 1.517 km NW of Shelter Cove, California · 17663 days ago · 9 km deep · 35 km away
  18. 2.5near the coast of Northern California · 17663 days ago · 20 km deep · 62 km away
  19. 2.341 km SW of Ferndale, California · 17662 days ago · 19 km deep · 78 km away
  20. 1.921 km WSW of Weott, California · 17662 days ago · 4 km deep · 35 km away
  21. 4.632 km SW of Ferndale, California · 17661 days ago · 29 km deep · 65 km away
  22. 2.918 km W of Ferndale, California · 17661 days ago · 21 km deep · 80 km away
  23. 1.617 km WNW of Indianola, California · 17660 days ago · 22 km deep · 91 km away
  24. 3.013 km WNW of Laytonville, California · 17660 days ago · 1 km deep · 42 km away
  25. 1.619 km NW of Mad River, California · 17659 days ago · 28 km deep · 56 km away
  26. 2.3near the coast of Northern California · 17655 days ago · 6 km deep · 87 km away
  27. 1.735 km SW of Ferndale, California · 17655 days ago · 17 km deep · 76 km away
  28. 1.838 km SW of Ferndale, California · 17654 days ago · 23 km deep · 71 km away
  29. 1.726 km SW of Scotia, California · 17654 days ago · 11 km deep · 49 km away
  30. 1.834 km SW of Ferndale, California · 17654 days ago · 19 km deep · 70 km away
  31. 1.645 km W of Ferndale, California · 17651 days ago · 15 km deep · 100 km away
  32. 1.58 km W of Rio Dell, California · 17651 days ago · 19 km deep · 57 km away
  33. 1.60 km WSW of Ferndale, California · 17650 days ago · 21 km deep · 68 km away
  34. 1.728 km SW of Ferndale, California · 17649 days ago · 21 km deep · 65 km away
  35. 1.617 km SW of Scotia, California · 17648 days ago · 22 km deep · 53 km away
  36. 1.710 km E of Hayfork, California · 17648 days ago · 25 km deep · 82 km away
  37. 1.96 km SW of Scotia, California · 17648 days ago · 27 km deep · 50 km away
  38. 1.81 km WSW of Ferndale, California · 17648 days ago · 12 km deep · 68 km away
  39. 1.644 km SW of Ferndale, California · 17647 days ago · 20 km deep · 69 km away
  40. 1.835 km W of Ferndale, California · 17647 days ago · 20 km deep · 96 km away
  41. 1.741 km SW of Ferndale, California · 17647 days ago · 5 km deep · 70 km away
  42. 1.86 km W of Scotia, California · 17647 days ago · 22 km deep · 54 km away
  43. 1.78 km NE of Hydesville, California · 17647 days ago · 23 km deep · 62 km away
  44. 1.59 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 17647 days ago · 20 km deep · 63 km away
  45. 1.630 km SW of Ferndale, California · 17646 days ago · 27 km deep · 75 km away
  46. 1.631 km SW of Ferndale, California · 17646 days ago · 21 km deep · 65 km away
  47. 1.726 km SW of Scotia, California · 17646 days ago · 18 km deep · 54 km away
  48. 1.627 km WSW of Ferndale, California · 17644 days ago · 24 km deep · 76 km away
  49. 3.016 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 17644 days ago · 21 km deep · 63 km away
  50. 2.66 km W of Loleta, California · 17644 days ago · 24 km deep · 75 km away
  51. 2.617 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 17644 days ago · 22 km deep · 59 km away
  52. 1.715 km NNE of Redcrest, California · 17643 days ago · 21 km deep · 50 km away
  53. 1.663 km SW of Ferndale, California · 17643 days ago · 6 km deep · 92 km away
  54. 1.830 km SW of Ferndale, California · 17643 days ago · 22 km deep · 65 km away
  55. 2.629 km SW of Ferndale, California · 17642 days ago · 19 km deep · 65 km away
  56. 2.429 km SW of Ferndale, California · 17642 days ago · 22 km deep · 64 km away
  57. 1.615 km SE of Indianola, California · 17641 days ago · 21 km deep · 72 km away
  58. 1.841 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 17641 days ago · 29 km deep · 65 km away
  59. 1.611 km WSW of Scotia, California · 17641 days ago · 19 km deep · 55 km away
  60. 2.332 km SW of Ferndale, California · 17640 days ago · 23 km deep · 66 km away

The first 60 of 112.

Before

  1. 1.527 km SW of Ferndale, California · 17671 days ago · 24 km deep · 68 km away
  2. 1.726 km WSW of Ferndale, California · 17672 days ago · 23 km deep · 79 km away
  3. 2.730 km SW of Ferndale, California · 17673 days ago · 19 km deep · 66 km away
  4. 3.024 km WNW of Elk Creek, California · 17674 days ago · 11 km deep · 96 km away
  5. 3.323 km WNW of Elk Creek, California · 17674 days ago · 4 km deep · 98 km away
  6. 1.634 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 17676 days ago · 30 km deep · 62 km away
  7. 1.611 km S of Ferndale, California · 17676 days ago · 2 km deep · 58 km away
  8. 1.710 km WSW of Rio Dell, California · 17678 days ago · 5 km deep · 56 km away
  9. 1.619 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 17682 days ago · 23 km deep · 62 km away
  10. 1.535 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 17684 days ago · 25 km deep · 64 km away
  11. 1.827 km WSW of Ferndale, California · 17685 days ago · 24 km deep · 75 km away
  12. 2.233 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 17686 days ago · 21 km deep · 63 km away
  13. 2.824 km WNW of Elk Creek, California · 17686 days ago · 4 km deep · 97 km away
  14. 2.333 km SW of Ferndale, California · 17686 days ago · 23 km deep · 75 km away
  15. 2.228 km SW of Ferndale, California · 17687 days ago · 27 km deep · 69 km away
  16. 1.929 km SW of Ferndale, California · 17687 days ago · 27 km deep · 70 km away
  17. 2.710 km S of Ferndale, California · 17687 days ago · 19 km deep · 61 km away
  18. 1.531 km WSW of Ferndale, California · 17687 days ago · 25 km deep · 81 km away
  19. 1.710 km S of Ferndale, California · 17688 days ago · 18 km deep · 61 km away
  20. 2.08 km NE of Willits, California · 17688 days ago · 9 km deep · 81 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1040281. Read Tue, Sep 29, 2026, 6:40 PM UTC.