California earthquakes

M3.0 earthquake 3 km W of Ruth, California

A magnitude 3.0 earthquake struck 3 km W of Ruth, California on Fri, Mar 17, 1978, 4:12 AM PST (12:12 UTC), 40 km (25 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M3.7 9 km WSW of Rio Dell, 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
3.0 (md), micro
Local time
UTC
1978-03-17 12:12:33 UTC
Depth
39.9 km (24.8 mi), shallow
Epicenter
40.273° N, 123.360° 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 8.4 km horizontally, 3.1 km in depth
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
310°, poorly surrounded by stations
Stations used
8

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 119 in the 60 days after this one and 42 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 1.78 km W of Indianola, California · 17721 days ago · 19 km deep · 95 km away
  2. 2.317 km WSW of Ferndale, California · 17720 days ago · 22 km deep · 95 km away
  3. 2.60 km ESE of Redway, California · 17720 days ago · 18 km deep · 42 km away
  4. 1.618 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 17719 days ago · 22 km deep · 86 km away
  5. 1.933 km SW of Scotia, California · 17719 days ago · 16 km deep · 89 km away
  6. 1.627 km SW of Scotia, California · 17718 days ago · 23 km deep · 84 km away
  7. 1.72 km SW of Garberville, California · 17718 days ago · 15 km deep · 44 km away
  8. 1.827 km SW of Scotia, California · 17718 days ago · 7 km deep · 83 km away
  9. 2.19 km WSW of Rio Dell, California · 17717 days ago · 2 km deep · 76 km away
  10. 1.99 km WSW of Rio Dell, California · 17717 days ago · 3 km deep · 75 km away
  11. 1.611 km WSW of Scotia, California · 17717 days ago · 8 km deep · 77 km away
  12. 1.610 km WSW of Rio Dell, California · 17717 days ago · 3 km deep · 76 km away
  13. 3.79 km WSW of Rio Dell, California · 17717 days ago · 5 km deep · 76 km away
  14. 1.79 km WSW of Rio Dell, California · 17717 days ago · 3 km deep · 75 km away
  15. 1.79 km WSW of Rio Dell, California · 17717 days ago · 2 km deep · 76 km away
  16. 1.910 km WSW of Rio Dell, California · 17717 days ago · 5 km deep · 76 km away
  17. 2.09 km WSW of Rio Dell, California · 17717 days ago · 5 km deep · 76 km away
  18. 1.610 km WSW of Rio Dell, California · 17717 days ago · 3 km deep · 76 km away
  19. 2.09 km WSW of Scotia, California · 17717 days ago · 4 km deep · 75 km away
  20. 3.19 km W of Scotia, California · 17717 days ago · 5 km deep · 75 km away
  21. 1.510 km WSW of Rio Dell, California · 17717 days ago · 4 km deep · 77 km away
  22. 2.110 km WSW of Rio Dell, California · 17717 days ago · 6 km deep · 76 km away
  23. 1.69 km WSW of Rio Dell, California · 17717 days ago · 3 km deep · 76 km away
  24. 1.710 km WSW of Rio Dell, California · 17717 days ago · 3 km deep · 76 km away
  25. 2.124 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 17717 days ago · 22 km deep · 90 km away
  26. 2.09 km WSW of Rio Dell, California · 17717 days ago · 4 km deep · 76 km away
  27. 3.538 km NW of Paskenta, California · 17717 days ago · 5 km deep · 43 km away
  28. 3.313 km ESE of Ruth, California · 17717 days ago · 41 km deep · 17 km away
  29. 2.69 km WSW of Rio Dell, California · 17717 days ago · 5 km deep · 76 km away
  30. 1.722 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 17717 days ago · 27 km deep · 85 km away
  31. 2.613 km ESE of Ruth, California · 17717 days ago · 44 km deep · 17 km away
  32. 3.238 km ESE of Ruth, California · 17716 days ago · 23 km deep · 41 km away
  33. 3.116 km ESE of Ruth, California · 17716 days ago · 48 km deep · 20 km away
  34. 2.317 km SW of Scotia, California · 17716 days ago · 26 km deep · 75 km away
  35. 1.610 km WSW of Rio Dell, California · 17716 days ago · 4 km deep · 77 km away
  36. 1.816 km ESE of Ruth, California · 17716 days ago · 45 km deep · 19 km away
  37. 3.014 km ESE of Ruth, California · 17716 days ago · 44 km deep · 18 km away
  38. 2.18 km ENE of Trinity Village, California · 17716 days ago · 21 km deep · 70 km away
  39. 1.522 km SW of Ferndale, California · 17715 days ago · 22 km deep · 91 km away
  40. 1.614 km ESE of Indianola, California · 17715 days ago · 25 km deep · 72 km away
  41. 1.832 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 17714 days ago · 13 km deep · 92 km away
  42. 1.95 km NNE of Brooktrails, California · 17713 days ago · 1 km deep · 87 km away
  43. 3.027 km SW of Ferndale, California · 17712 days ago · 25 km deep · 98 km away
  44. 2.615 km NE of Hydesville, California · 17712 days ago · 24 km deep · 65 km away
  45. 3.69 km WSW of Scotia, California · 17711 days ago · 5 km deep · 75 km away
  46. 1.99 km W of Scotia, California · 17711 days ago · 9 km deep · 75 km away
  47. 1.69 km WSW of Rio Dell, California · 17711 days ago · 2 km deep · 76 km away
  48. 1.89 km WSW of Rio Dell, California · 17711 days ago · 4 km deep · 76 km away
  49. 2.710 km WSW of Rio Dell, California · 17711 days ago · 6 km deep · 76 km away
  50. 1.615 km WSW of Ferndale, California · 17711 days ago · 23 km deep · 95 km away
  51. 1.86 km ENE of Blue Lake, California · 17711 days ago · 27 km deep · 84 km away
  52. 2.710 km WSW of Scotia, California · 17708 days ago · 8 km deep · 76 km away
  53. 1.912 km SW of Ferndale, California · 17708 days ago · 24 km deep · 90 km away
  54. 1.710 km W of Scotia, California · 17708 days ago · 7 km deep · 76 km away
  55. 2.5near the coast of Northern California · 17707 days ago · 16 km deep · 63 km away
  56. 1.9near the coast of Northern California · 17706 days ago · 26 km deep · 74 km away
  57. 2.30 km W of Fields Landing, California · 17705 days ago · 9 km deep · 89 km away
  58. 1.91 km WNW of Fields Landing, California · 17705 days ago · 8 km deep · 90 km away
  59. 2.529 km SW of Ferndale, California · 17705 days ago · 20 km deep · 98 km away
  60. 2.518 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 17703 days ago · 22 km deep · 85 km away

The first 60 of 119.

Before

  1. 1.816 km SW of Scotia, California · 17723 days ago · 26 km deep · 74 km away
  2. 2.310 km S of Ferndale, California · 17723 days ago · 18 km deep · 81 km away
  3. 2.210 km S of Ferndale, California · 17723 days ago · 19 km deep · 82 km away
  4. 1.98 km S of Ferndale, California · 17724 days ago · 23 km deep · 81 km away
  5. 2.832 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 17724 days ago · 21 km deep · 94 km away
  6. 2.68 km W of Indianola, California · 17725 days ago · 19 km deep · 94 km away
  7. 3.214 km NE of Redcrest, California · 17725 days ago · 24 km deep · 48 km away
  8. 1.711 km SE of Blue Lake, California · 17727 days ago · 25 km deep · 75 km away
  9. 2.410 km SE of Blue Lake, California · 17727 days ago · 25 km deep · 75 km away
  10. 1.619 km SW of Ferndale, California · 17728 days ago · 22 km deep · 91 km away
  11. 1.89 km ENE of Redcrest, California · 17730 days ago · 21 km deep · 46 km away
  12. 1.621 km SW of Ferndale, California · 17730 days ago · 21 km deep · 91 km away
  13. 2.822 km SW of Ferndale, California · 17730 days ago · 21 km deep · 93 km away
  14. 2.53 km ENE of Willits, California · 17731 days ago · 3 km deep · 95 km away
  15. 1.5near the coast of Northern California · 17733 days ago · 17 km deep · 86 km away
  16. 1.6near the coast of Northern California · 17737 days ago · 19 km deep · 75 km away
  17. 1.610 km S of Ferndale, California · 17737 days ago · 18 km deep · 82 km away
  18. 2.411 km NNW of Potter Valley, California · 17739 days ago · 1 km deep · 97 km away
  19. 2.46 km ESE of Willits, California · 17741 days ago · 6 km deep · 98 km away
  20. 1.610 km S of Ferndale, California · 17742 days ago · 15 km deep · 82 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1039321. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 8:04 PM UTC.