M3.1 earthquake 4 km N of Talmage, California

A magnitude 3.1 earthquake struck 4 km N of Talmage, California on Mon, Mar 27, 1978, 8:15 AM PST (16:15 UTC), 10 km (6 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M3.4 21 km WNW of Elk Creek, California. This one was a foreshock.

Map

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

Different scales measure different things and differ by a few tenths. The USGS marks one as preferred, and it is the one this page uses.

Mag.	Scale	Computed by	Notes
3.1	ML, local (Richter)	Northern California Seismic System	Preferred · Final · 0 stations
3.0	ML, local (Richter)	USGS National Earthquake Information Center	Reviewed

No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.

Reviewed by a seismologist.

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

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 183 in the 60 days after this one and 115 in the 30 days before it.

The first 60 of 183.

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1039568 (also filed as usp0000tsw). Read Sat, Oct 3, 2026, 11:43 AM UTC.