M1.6 earthquake 6 km SW of Ferndale, California

Magnitude

1.6 (md), micro

Local time

Tue, May 8, 1979, 6:30 AM PDT

UTC

1979-05-08 13:30:45 UTC

Depth

24.8 km (15.4 mi), shallow

Epicenter

40.532° N, 124.309° W

Region

California

Tsunami flag

No

Status

Reviewed by a seismologist

Location uncertainty

About 1.6 km horizontally, 3.2 km in depth

Magnitude uncertainty

±0.05

Depth from

From location

Station coverage gap

211°, poorly surrounded by stations

Stations used

8

• Ferndale, CaliforniaPopulation 1,369. Forecast6 kmSW
• Fortuna, CaliforniaPopulation 12,000. Forecast15 kmWSW
• Chico, CaliforniaPopulation 121,345. Forecast228 kmWNW
• Los Angeles, CaliforniaPopulation 3,820,914. Forecast898 kmNW

After

1. 1.534 km W of Ferndale, CaliforniaTue, May 8, 7:42 AM PDT · 17310 days ago · 19 km deep · 30 km away
2. 3.176 km WSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaTue, May 8, 8:50 AM PDT · 17310 days ago · 24 km deep · 71 km away
3. 1.670 km WNW of Ferndale, CaliforniaTue, May 8, 9:05 AM PDT · 17310 days ago · 4 km deep · 68 km away
4. 1.63 km ENE of Loleta, CaliforniaTue, May 8, 6:06 PM PDT · 17309 days ago · 20 km deep · 17 km away
5. 1.615 km SSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaWed, May 9, 7:19 PM PDT · 17308 days ago · 9 km deep · 9 km away
6. 2.427 km SSW of Scotia, CaliforniaThu, May 10, 9:13 AM PDT · 17308 days ago · 21 km deep · 31 km away
7. 1.623 km WSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaThu, May 10, 9:55 AM PDT · 17308 days ago · 20 km deep · 19 km away
8. 1.829 km WSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaFri, May 11, 2:07 PM PDT · 17306 days ago · 25 km deep · 24 km away
9. 2.121 km WSW of Weott, CaliforniaFri, May 11, 4:02 PM PDT · 17306 days ago · 3 km deep · 34 km away
10. 1.732 km SSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaSat, May 12, 12:25 PM PDT · 17305 days ago · 36 km deep · 26 km away
11. 2.794 km W of Ferndale, CaliforniaSat, May 12, 7:21 PM PDT · 17305 days ago · 4 km deep · 91 km away
12. 1.639 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaSun, May 13, 3:24 AM PDT · 17305 days ago · 18 km deep · 33 km away
13. 1.8102 km WSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaSun, May 13, 4:02 AM PDT · 17305 days ago · 5 km deep · 97 km away
14. 1.730 km WSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaSun, May 13, 4:47 AM PDT · 17305 days ago · 25 km deep · 25 km away
15. 1.919 km WSW of Scotia, CaliforniaSun, May 13, 10:04 AM PDT · 17305 days ago · 28 km deep · 15 km away
16. 1.89 km WSW of Scotia, CaliforniaSun, May 13, 2:02 PM PDT · 17304 days ago · 27 km deep · 14 km away
17. 2.99 km WSW of Scotia, CaliforniaSun, May 13, 9:57 PM PDT · 17304 days ago · 28 km deep · 13 km away
18. 1.78 km WSW of Scotia, CaliforniaMon, May 14, 4:39 AM PDT · 17304 days ago · 27 km deep · 14 km away
19. 2.238 km W of Ferndale, CaliforniaMon, May 14, 7:23 AM PDT · 17304 days ago · 20 km deep · 35 km away
20. 2.516 km WSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaMon, May 14, 9:43 PM PDT · 17303 days ago · 17 km deep · 11 km away
21. 2.216 km WSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaMon, May 14, 9:49 PM PDT · 17303 days ago · 17 km deep · 11 km away
22. 1.715 km WSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaMon, May 14, 9:52 PM PDT · 17303 days ago · 15 km deep · 10 km away
23. 2.626 km SSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaMon, May 14, 9:56 PM PDT · 17303 days ago · 18 km deep · 20 km away
24. 1.620 km WSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaMon, May 14, 10:53 PM PDT · 17303 days ago · 16 km deep · 16 km away
25. 1.786 km WSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaTue, May 15, 1:11 AM PDT · 17303 days ago · 4 km deep · 81 km away
26. 1.68 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaTue, May 15, 12:37 PM PDT · 17302 days ago · 22 km deep · 3 km away
27. 1.913 km SE of Blue Lake, CaliforniaTue, May 15, 7:49 PM PDT · 17302 days ago · 22 km deep · 48 km away
28. 1.619 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaWed, May 16, 3:55 AM PDT · 17302 days ago · 19 km deep · 14 km away
29. 1.98 km W of McKinleyville, CaliforniaWed, May 16, 7:51 AM PDT · 17302 days ago · 1 km deep · 48 km away
30. 2.234 km WSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaThu, May 17, 8:05 AM PDT · 17301 days ago · 21 km deep · 30 km away
31. 1.77 km W of Rio Dell, CaliforniaThu, May 17, 5:53 PM PDT · 17300 days ago · 18 km deep · 10 km away
32. 1.510 km SSE of Ferndale, CaliforniaThu, May 17, 5:56 PM PDT · 17300 days ago · 21 km deep · 8 km away
33. 2.938 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaThu, May 17, 8:18 PM PDT · 17300 days ago · 23 km deep · 32 km away
34. 3.239 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaFri, May 18, 12:31 AM PDT · 17300 days ago · 23 km deep · 34 km away
35. 1.82 km SSW of Scotia, CaliforniaFri, May 18, 8:06 AM PDT · 17300 days ago · 20 km deep · 19 km away
36. 1.740 km WSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaFri, May 18, 10:25 AM PDT · 17300 days ago · 14 km deep · 35 km away
37. 1.68 km W of Rio Dell, CaliforniaFri, May 18, 3:44 PM PDT · 17299 days ago · 18 km deep · 10 km away
38. 1.626 km SW of Scotia, CaliforniaSat, May 19, 1:35 AM PDT · 17299 days ago · 25 km deep · 21 km away
39. 1.833 km SW of Scotia, CaliforniaSat, May 19, 5:43 AM PDT · 17299 days ago · 22 km deep · 28 km away
40. 1.67 km W of Rio Dell, CaliforniaSat, May 19, 10:03 AM PDT · 17299 days ago · 17 km deep · 10 km away
41. 1.77 km W of Rio Dell, CaliforniaSat, May 19, 12:59 PM PDT · 17298 days ago · 18 km deep · 11 km away
42. 1.510 km WSW of Scotia, CaliforniaSat, May 19, 8:31 PM PDT · 17298 days ago · 19 km deep · 13 km away
43. 1.938 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaSun, May 20, 1:25 PM PDT · 17297 days ago · 20 km deep · 32 km away
44. 1.836 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaSun, May 20, 7:22 PM PDT · 17297 days ago · 27 km deep · 30 km away
45. 2.233 km WSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaMon, May 21, 1:42 PM PDT · 17296 days ago · 21 km deep · 29 km away
46. 2.135 km SSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaTue, May 22, 12:44 AM PDT · 17296 days ago · 25 km deep · 29 km away
47. 1.730 km SW of Scotia, CaliforniaTue, May 22, 8:12 PM PDT · 17295 days ago · 7 km deep · 27 km away
48. 1.67 km W of Rio Dell, CaliforniaWed, May 23, 6:11 PM PDT · 17294 days ago · 17 km deep · 11 km away
49. 1.64 km NW of Ferndale, CaliforniaWed, May 23, 9:56 PM PDT · 17294 days ago · 18 km deep · 7 km away
50. 1.611 km ESE of Burnt Ranch, CaliforniaWed, May 23, 11:08 PM PDT · 17294 days ago · 16 km deep · 85 km away
51. 1.99 km W of Scotia, CaliforniaThu, May 24, 7:12 AM PDT · 17294 days ago · 21 km deep · 11 km away
52. 1.970 km W of Indianola, CaliforniaFri, May 25, 8:42 AM PDT · 17293 days ago · 6 km deep · 69 km away
53. 1.850 km WNW of Samoa, CaliforniaFri, May 25, 12:31 PM PDT · 17292 days ago · 13 km deep · 59 km away
54. 1.72 km NE of Rio Dell, CaliforniaFri, May 25, 4:24 PM PDT · 17292 days ago · 22 km deep · 19 km away
55. 1.614 km ESE of Indianola, CaliforniaFri, May 25, 5:00 PM PDT · 17292 days ago · 20 km deep · 39 km away
56. 1.88 km WSW of Trinidad, CaliforniaFri, May 25, 9:07 PM PDT · 17292 days ago · 20 km deep · 56 km away
57. 1.836 km SSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaFri, May 25, 9:25 PM PDT · 17292 days ago · 22 km deep · 30 km away
58. 1.635 km SSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaSat, May 26, 12:17 AM PDT · 17292 days ago · 23 km deep · 29 km away
59. 1.839 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaSat, May 26, 3:30 AM PDT · 17292 days ago · 21 km deep · 33 km away
60. 2.865 km W of Ferndale, CaliforniaSun, May 27, 11:17 AM PDT · 17291 days ago · 31 km deep · 62 km away

The first 60 of 148.

Before

1. 2.045 km WSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaTue, May 8, 6:29 AM PDT · 17310 days ago · 19 km deep · 41 km away
2. 1.88 km NW of Manila, CaliforniaTue, May 8, 3:42 AM PDT · 17310 days ago · 18 km deep · 41 km away
3. 2.232 km W of Indianola, CaliforniaSat, May 5, 1:23 PM PDT · 17312 days ago · 42 km deep · 34 km away
4. 1.516 km WSW of Scotia, CaliforniaSat, May 5, 5:33 AM PDT · 17313 days ago · 18 km deep · 13 km away
5. 1.816 km WSW of Scotia, CaliforniaFri, May 4, 9:25 PM PDT · 17313 days ago · 21 km deep · 14 km away
6. 1.68 km W of Weott, CaliforniaFri, May 4, 3:48 AM PDT · 17314 days ago · 23 km deep · 33 km away
7. 1.725 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaFri, May 4, 1:20 AM PDT · 17314 days ago · 26 km deep · 19 km away
8. 3.097 km W of Ferndale, CaliforniaFri, May 4, 12:40 AM PDT · 17314 days ago · 55 km deep · 93 km away
9. 1.86 km NW of Samoa, CaliforniaFri, May 4, 12:11 AM PDT · 17314 days ago · 35 km deep · 37 km away
10. 1.648 km W of Trinidad, CaliforniaThu, May 3, 10:47 PM PDT · 17314 days ago · 8 km deep · 62 km away
11. 1.725 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaThu, May 3, 5:50 PM PDT · 17314 days ago · 26 km deep · 19 km away
12. 2.379 km W of Ferndale, CAThu, May 3, 5:17 PM PDT · 17314 days ago · 5 km deep · 75 km away
13. 2.086 km W of Ferndale, CaliforniaThu, May 3, 4:42 PM PDT · 17314 days ago · 5 km deep · 82 km away
14. 1.636 km SSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaTue, May 1, 3:01 PM PDT · 17316 days ago · 20 km deep · 30 km away
15. 1.719 km E of Hydesville, CaliforniaTue, May 1, 5:40 AM PDT · 17317 days ago · 20 km deep · 37 km away
16. 2.911 km WNW of Samoa, CaliforniaMon, Apr 30, 9:37 AM PDT · 17318 days ago · 23 km deep · 38 km away
17. 1.726 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaSun, Apr 29, 1:04 PM PDT · 17318 days ago · 24 km deep · 20 km away
18. 2.114 km SSW of Willow Creek, CaliforniaSun, Apr 29, 4:55 AM PDT · 17319 days ago · 7 km deep · 61 km away
19. 1.710 km SW of Scotia, CaliforniaFri, Apr 27, 5:08 PM PST · 17320 days ago · 17 km deep · 18 km away
20. 1.630 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaFri, Apr 27, 4:36 PM PST · 17320 days ago · 17 km deep · 24 km away

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1045721. Read Mon, Sep 28, 2026, 6:20 AM UTC.