M4.2 earthquake 36 km SW of Ferndale, California

A magnitude 4.2 earthquake struck 36 km SW of Ferndale, California on Wed, Aug 8, 1979, 3:24 AM PDT (10:24 UTC), 25 km (16 mi) below the surface.

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
4.2	ML, local (Richter)	Northern California Seismic System	Preferred · Final · 0 stations
3.8	mb, body-wave	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: 80 in the 60 days after this one and 64 in the 30 days before it.

The first 60 of 80.

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1047049 (also filed as usp000129q). Read Sat, Oct 3, 2026, 4:42 PM UTC.