M1.6 earthquake 25 km S of Ruth, California

Magnitude

1.6 (md), micro

Local time

Fri, Dec 7, 1979, 8:05 AM PST

UTC

1979-12-07 16:05:38 UTC

Depth

6.7 km (4.1 mi), shallow

Epicenter

40.041° N, 123.288° W

Region

California

Tsunami flag

No

Status

Reviewed by a seismologist

Location uncertainty

About 6.5 km horizontally, 4.2 km in depth

Depth from

From location

Station coverage gap

302°, poorly surrounded by stations

Stations used

5

• Covelo, CaliforniaPopulation 1,255. Forecast28 kmN
• Red Bluff, CaliforniaPopulation 14,131. Forecast91 kmW
• Chico, CaliforniaPopulation 121,345. Forecast129 kmWNW
• Los Angeles, CaliforniaPopulation 3,820,914. Forecast802 kmNNW

After

1. 1.82 km E of Calpella, CaliforniaSun, Dec 9, 8:59 PM PST · 17089 days ago · 4 km deep · 90 km away
2. 1.811 km NW of Mad River, CaliforniaMon, Dec 10, 11:51 PM PST · 17088 days ago · 23 km deep · 61 km away
3. 3.14 km N of Myers Flat, CaliforniaFri, Dec 14, 12:34 PM PST · 17084 days ago · 28 km deep · 58 km away
4. 1.613 km SW of Scotia, CaliforniaSat, Dec 15, 2:37 AM PST · 17083 days ago · 26 km deep · 86 km away
5. 2.919 km SW of Scotia, CaliforniaSat, Dec 15, 5:21 PM PST · 17083 days ago · 22 km deep · 87 km away
6. 1.518 km SW of Scotia, CaliforniaSat, Dec 15, 5:26 PM PST · 17083 days ago · 22 km deep · 87 km away
7. 2.07 km NNE of Mad River, CaliforniaMon, Dec 17, 3:56 PM PST · 17081 days ago · -1 km deep · 55 km away
8. 1.910 km ESE of Willits, CaliforniaThu, Dec 20, 5:23 AM PST · 17078 days ago · 11 km deep · 76 km away
9. 2.321 km WSW of Weott, CaliforniaThu, Dec 20, 7:24 AM PST · 17078 days ago · 4 km deep · 77 km away
10. 2.316 km S of Leggett, CaliforniaFri, Dec 21, 11:13 PM PST · 17077 days ago · -1 km deep · 49 km away
11. 2.222 km NNE of Redcrest, CaliforniaSat, Dec 22, 8:58 PM PST · 17076 days ago · 22 km deep · 73 km away
12. 1.619 km SSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaSat, Dec 22, 10:18 PM PST · 17076 days ago · 28 km deep · 97 km away
13. 2.418 km E of Potter Valley, CaliforniaSun, Dec 23, 9:04 PM PST · 17075 days ago · 4 km deep · 86 km away
14. 2.05 km W of Brooktrails, CaliforniaWed, Dec 26, 9:32 AM PST · 17072 days ago · 5 km deep · 69 km away
15. 2.117 km ENE of Hydesville, CaliforniaWed, Dec 26, 6:40 PM PST · 17072 days ago · 23 km deep · 79 km away
16. 1.87 km W of Rio Dell, CaliforniaThu, Dec 27, 7:38 AM PST · 17071 days ago · 22 km deep · 92 km away
17. 3.321 km SW of Leggett, CaliforniaFri, Dec 28, 8:32 AM PST · 17070 days ago · 4 km deep · 62 km away
18. 2.314 km SE of Hayfork, CaliforniaSun, Dec 30, 5:43 AM PST · 17068 days ago · 52 km deep · 51 km away
19. 1.57 km W of Rio Dell, CaliforniaTue, Jan 1, 2:37 PM PST · 17066 days ago · 21 km deep · 92 km away
20. 2.516 km WNW of Hyampom, CaliforniaWed, Jan 2, 6:18 AM PST · 17065 days ago · 28 km deep · 75 km away
21. 1.85 km SSW of Fortuna, CaliforniaThu, Jan 3, 8:00 AM PST · 17064 days ago · 27 km deep · 95 km away
22. 1.721 km NNE of Upper Lake, CaliforniaSat, Jan 5, 3:39 AM PST · 17062 days ago · 4 km deep · 85 km away
23. 3.04 km NE of Miranda, CaliforniaWed, Jan 9, 4:17 AM PST · 17058 days ago · 30 km deep · 49 km away
24. 1.64 km E of Mad River, CaliforniaWed, Jan 9, 7:31 AM PST · 17058 days ago · 28 km deep · 47 km away
25. 2.023 km NNE of Potter Valley, CaliforniaThu, Jan 10, 10:04 AM PST · 17057 days ago · 9 km deep · 64 km away
26. 1.629 km SW of Scotia, CaliforniaFri, Jan 11, 9:20 PM PST · 17056 days ago · 19 km deep · 90 km away
27. 3.111 km NNW of Potter Valley, CaliforniaMon, Jan 14, 12:54 AM PST · 17054 days ago · 12 km deep · 70 km away
28. 2.110 km NNW of Potter Valley, CaliforniaMon, Jan 14, 1:40 AM PST · 17053 days ago · 7 km deep · 71 km away
29. 2.221 km SE of Ruth, CaliforniaMon, Jan 14, 11:41 AM PST · 17053 days ago · 24 km deep · 15 km away
30. 1.66 km ENE of Willits, CaliforniaFri, Jan 18, 10:16 PM PST · 17049 days ago · 6 km deep · 69 km away
31. 1.611 km NNW of Potter Valley, CaliforniaSat, Jan 19, 11:49 PM PST · 17048 days ago · 8 km deep · 70 km away
32. 1.58 km W of Rio Dell, CaliforniaSun, Jan 20, 12:55 PM PST · 17047 days ago · 24 km deep · 93 km away
33. 1.716 km SW of Scotia, CaliforniaTue, Jan 22, 4:36 PM PST · 17045 days ago · 30 km deep · 88 km away
34. 1.514 km SE of Blue Lake, CaliforniaFri, Jan 25, 7:39 AM PST · 17042 days ago · 28 km deep · 96 km away
35. 1.77 km ENE of Willits, CaliforniaTue, Jan 29, 12:44 AM PST · 17039 days ago · 3 km deep · 66 km away
36. 2.818 km WNW of Hyampom, CaliforniaTue, Jan 29, 4:11 PM PST · 17038 days ago · 32 km deep · 79 km away
37. 1.721 km SE of Blue Lake, CaliforniaTue, Jan 29, 11:39 PM PST · 17038 days ago · 24 km deep · 89 km away
38. 1.93 km ESE of Calpella, CaliforniaWed, Jan 30, 2:10 PM PST · 17037 days ago · 5 km deep · 91 km away
39. 1.818 km ENE of Potter Valley, CaliforniaWed, Jan 30, 4:07 PM PST · 17037 days ago · 5 km deep · 82 km away
40. 1.516 km S of Ferndale, CaliforniaThu, Jan 31, 6:50 AM PST · 17036 days ago · 25 km deep · 96 km away
41. 2.324 km WNW of Paskenta, CaliforniaFri, Feb 1, 5:24 PM PST · 17035 days ago · 0 km deep · 42 km away
42. 1.511 km NNW of Potter Valley, CaliforniaFri, Feb 1, 7:51 PM PST · 17035 days ago · 10 km deep · 70 km away
43. 1.8near the coast of Northern CaliforniaSat, Feb 2, 12:16 AM PST · 17035 days ago · 5 km deep · 31 km away
44. 2.012 km N of Covelo, CaliforniaSat, Feb 2, 10:40 AM PST · 17034 days ago · 3 km deep · 16 km away
45. 1.614 km NE of Hydesville, CaliforniaTue, Feb 5, 7:37 AM PST · 17031 days ago · 24 km deep · 87 km away

Before

1. 1.95 km NW of Redwood Valley, CaliforniaWed, Dec 5, 8:28 PM PST · 17093 days ago · 7 km deep · 83 km away
2. 2.713 km NNW of Laytonville, CaliforniaMon, Dec 3, 3:42 AM PST · 17095 days ago · 6 km deep · 35 km away
3. 2.216 km SE of Alderpoint, CaliforniaFri, Nov 30, 8:02 PM PST · 17098 days ago · 20 km deep · 16 km away
4. 1.616 km SW of Scotia, CaliforniaFri, Nov 30, 3:42 AM PST · 17098 days ago · 29 km deep · 87 km away
5. 1.920 km NE of Hydesville, CaliforniaTue, Nov 27, 11:42 PM PST · 17101 days ago · 25 km deep · 87 km away
6. 2.87 km W of Rio Dell, CaliforniaTue, Nov 27, 3:25 PM PST · 17101 days ago · 20 km deep · 91 km away
7. 1.99 km ESE of Alderpoint, CaliforniaMon, Nov 26, 4:33 PM PST · 17102 days ago · 14 km deep · 22 km away
8. 2.65 km WNW of Junction City, CaliforniaThu, Nov 22, 11:27 PM PST · 17106 days ago · 12 km deep · 80 km away
9. 1.5near the coast of Northern CaliforniaThu, Nov 22, 4:03 PM PST · 17106 days ago · 9 km deep · 99 km away
10. 3.026 km SE of Covelo, CaliforniaWed, Nov 21, 10:55 PM PST · 17107 days ago · 12 km deep · 52 km away
11. 3.425 km SW of Scotia, CaliforniaWed, Nov 21, 1:22 AM PST · 17107 days ago · 18 km deep · 95 km away
12. 1.73 km ESE of Calpella, CaliforniaTue, Nov 20, 11:27 AM PST · 17108 days ago · 6 km deep · 91 km away
13. 1.68 km SSW of Junction City, CaliforniaSun, Nov 18, 10:00 PM PST · 17110 days ago · 3 km deep · 72 km away
14. 1.512 km SE of Blue Lake, CaliforniaFri, Nov 16, 11:57 AM PST · 17112 days ago · 21 km deep · 99 km away
15. 2.46 km SSW of Scotia, CaliforniaFri, Nov 16, 9:01 AM PST · 17112 days ago · 21 km deep · 84 km away
16. 1.69 km W of Mad River, CaliforniaFri, Nov 16, 1:32 AM PST · 17112 days ago · 2 km deep · 52 km away
17. 2.49 km SE of Willits, CaliforniaThu, Nov 15, 11:06 AM PST · 17113 days ago · 8 km deep · 76 km away
18. 2.218 km SW of Scotia, CaliforniaTue, Nov 13, 10:04 AM PST · 17115 days ago · 32 km deep · 92 km away
19. 2.513 km NNE of Redcrest, CaliforniaTue, Nov 13, 4:25 AM PST · 17115 days ago · 24 km deep · 71 km away
20. 2.59 km NW of Potter Valley, CaliforniaMon, Nov 12, 9:14 PM PST · 17116 days ago · 16 km deep · 75 km away

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1049210. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 8:47 PM UTC.