California earthquakes

M1.9 earthquake 13 km S of Ruth, California

A magnitude 1.9 earthquake struck 13 km S of Ruth, California on Fri, Sep 15, 1978, 3:43 PM PDT (22:43 UTC), 22 km (14 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M2.4 near the coast of Northern 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
1.9 (md), micro
Local time
UTC
1978-09-15 22:43:28 UTC
Depth
22.4 km (13.9 mi), shallow
Epicenter
40.149° N, 123.293° 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 6.9 km horizontally, 3.0 km in depth
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
295°, poorly surrounded by stations
Stations used
6

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 110 in the 60 days after this one and 51 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 1.95 km ENE of Willits, California · 17539 days ago · 6 km deep · 81 km away
  2. 1.514 km WSW of Scotia, California · 17538 days ago · 21 km deep · 86 km away
  3. 1.616 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 17537 days ago · 20 km deep · 91 km away
  4. 1.618 km SW of Scotia, California · 17537 days ago · 30 km deep · 85 km away
  5. 1.65 km SSW of Alderpoint, California · 17537 days ago · 9 km deep · 28 km away
  6. 1.625 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 17536 days ago · 19 km deep · 99 km away
  7. 2.4near the coast of Northern California · 17536 days ago · 19 km deep · 99 km away
  8. 3.717 km WSW of Burnt Ranch, California · 17533 days ago · 31 km deep · 74 km away
  9. 2.015 km WSW of Burnt Ranch, California · 17533 days ago · 31 km deep · 74 km away
  10. 1.615 km WSW of Scotia, California · 17533 days ago · 18 km deep · 87 km away
  11. 1.913 km WSW of Burnt Ranch, California · 17532 days ago · 31 km deep · 75 km away
  12. 2.36 km NNE of Myers Flat, California · 17530 days ago · 5 km deep · 49 km away
  13. 2.06 km NNE of Myers Flat, California · 17530 days ago · 3 km deep · 49 km away
  14. 1.66 km NE of Myers Flat, California · 17530 days ago · 1 km deep · 48 km away
  15. 1.65 km NNE of Myers Flat, California · 17530 days ago · 2 km deep · 49 km away
  16. 2.116 km WSW of Scotia, California · 17529 days ago · 19 km deep · 88 km away
  17. 1.811 km NNW of Redwood Valley, California · 17528 days ago · 6 km deep · 87 km away
  18. 1.710 km WNW of Potter Valley, California · 17528 days ago · 4 km deep · 87 km away
  19. 1.811 km WNW of Potter Valley, California · 17528 days ago · 4 km deep · 87 km away
  20. 2.231 km SW of Scotia, California · 17528 days ago · 10 km deep · 95 km away
  21. 3.011 km ENE of Weott, California · 17528 days ago · 30 km deep · 50 km away
  22. 2.322 km WSW of Weott, California · 17527 days ago · 7 km deep · 74 km away
  23. 1.822 km NNW of Shelter Cove, California · 17527 days ago · 9 km deep · 76 km away
  24. 1.610 km S of Ferndale, California · 17527 days ago · 18 km deep · 91 km away
  25. 2.510 km S of Ferndale, California · 17527 days ago · 18 km deep · 92 km away
  26. 1.524 km ENE of Hydesville, California · 17527 days ago · 7 km deep · 70 km away
  27. 2.625 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 17527 days ago · 19 km deep · 98 km away
  28. 1.617 km SW of Scotia, California · 17525 days ago · 22 km deep · 88 km away
  29. 1.67 km E of Willits, California · 17525 days ago · 5 km deep · 83 km away
  30. 1.85 km NNE of Myers Flat, California · 17523 days ago · 3 km deep · 49 km away
  31. 2.621 km WSW of Weott, California · 17521 days ago · 5 km deep · 73 km away
  32. 3.025 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 17521 days ago · 20 km deep · 99 km away
  33. 2.29 km E of Hydesville, California · 17519 days ago · 21 km deep · 73 km away
  34. 2.818 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 17518 days ago · 23 km deep · 98 km away
  35. 1.511 km SW of Ferndale, California · 17518 days ago · 24 km deep · 99 km away
  36. 2.119 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 17518 days ago · 23 km deep · 98 km away
  37. 1.525 km SW of Scotia, California · 17518 days ago · 22 km deep · 91 km away
  38. 3.316 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 17518 days ago · 26 km deep · 95 km away
  39. 1.918 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 17518 days ago · 23 km deep · 97 km away
  40. 1.514 km SW of Scotia, California · 17518 days ago · 21 km deep · 85 km away
  41. 1.615 km SW of Scotia, California · 17518 days ago · 27 km deep · 82 km away
  42. 1.913 km SSW of Willow Creek, California · 17517 days ago · 8 km deep · 84 km away
  43. 1.811 km NE of Brooktrails, California · 17516 days ago · 5 km deep · 72 km away
  44. 1.511 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 17515 days ago · 26 km deep · 96 km away
  45. 2.025 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 17513 days ago · 19 km deep · 97 km away
  46. 1.79 km N of Ruth, California · 17512 days ago · 19 km deep · 23 km away
  47. 2.25 km WSW of Hyampom, California · 17512 days ago · 24 km deep · 53 km away
  48. 2.712 km E of Hayfork, California · 17512 days ago · 4 km deep · 49 km away
  49. 2.29 km ESE of Willits, California · 17512 days ago · 8 km deep · 86 km away
  50. 1.612 km S of Ferndale, California · 17511 days ago · 23 km deep · 90 km away
  51. 1.6Northern California · 17511 days ago · 32 km deep · 48 km away
  52. 1.923 km SSW of Scotia, California · 17510 days ago · 2 km deep · 79 km away
  53. 1.515 km WSW of Burnt Ranch, California · 17510 days ago · 33 km deep · 73 km away
  54. 2.19 km NNE of Redcrest, California · 17510 days ago · 22 km deep · 65 km away
  55. 1.69 km S of Ferndale, California · 17509 days ago · 18 km deep · 91 km away
  56. 2.09 km ESE of Willits, California · 17506 days ago · 8 km deep · 86 km away
  57. 2.06 km ENE of Willits, California · 17506 days ago · 11 km deep · 81 km away
  58. 2.112 km S of Ruth, California · 17504 days ago · 2 km deep · 4 km away
  59. 2.926 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 17504 days ago · 19 km deep · 99 km away
  60. 2.726 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 17504 days ago · 19 km deep · 100 km away

The first 60 of 110.

Before

  1. 1.52 km WSW of Loleta, California · 17539 days ago · 17 km deep · 97 km away
  2. 1.67 km ESE of Hydesville, California · 17542 days ago · 19 km deep · 74 km away
  3. 1.86 km ENE of Garberville, California · 17542 days ago · 18 km deep · 36 km away
  4. 3.231 km SW of Scotia, California · 17544 days ago · 25 km deep · 93 km away
  5. 2.725 km ENE of Hydesville, California · 17546 days ago · 5 km deep · 73 km away
  6. 1.58 km WNW of Rio Dell, California · 17546 days ago · 5 km deep · 87 km away
  7. 2.519 km NE of Potter Valley, California · 17546 days ago · 5 km deep · 84 km away
  8. 2.320 km NE of Potter Valley, California · 17546 days ago · 6 km deep · 83 km away
  9. 1.717 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 17547 days ago · 28 km deep · 93 km away
  10. 1.59 km S of Ferndale, California · 17547 days ago · 18 km deep · 91 km away
  11. 1.526 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 17548 days ago · 30 km deep · 100 km away
  12. 2.86 km ESE of Willits, California · 17548 days ago · 10 km deep · 84 km away
  13. 2.57 km ESE of Willits, California · 17548 days ago · 5 km deep · 84 km away
  14. 2.66 km E of Willits, California · 17549 days ago · 14 km deep · 83 km away
  15. 3.525 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 17550 days ago · 19 km deep · 97 km away
  16. 1.69 km S of Ferndale, California · 17550 days ago · 19 km deep · 89 km away
  17. 2.319 km SW of Ferndale, California · 17551 days ago · 23 km deep · 100 km away
  18. 1.69 km ESE of Willits, California · 17551 days ago · 4 km deep · 87 km away
  19. 2.39 km ESE of Willits, California · 17552 days ago · 3 km deep · 87 km away
  20. 1.74 km S of Ferndale, California · 17552 days ago · 25 km deep · 93 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1042327. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 9:39 PM UTC.