California earthquakes

M5.2 earthquake 13 km WNW of Samoa, California

A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck 13 km WNW of Samoa, California on Sat, Feb 3, 1979, 1:58 AM PST (09:58 UTC), 24 km (15 mi) below the surface.

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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: 5.2 (ml), moderate
Local time: Sat, Feb 3, 1979, 1:58 AM PST
UTC: 1979-02-03 09:58:16 UTC
Depth: 23.6 km (14.7 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 40.874° N, 124.325° W
Region: California
Strongest shaking: V, moderate shaking
Tsunami flag: No
Status: Reviewed by a seismologist

Shaking

The USGS ShakeMap: shaking estimated from seismic stations and the quake’s size, on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale.

Strongest estimated: V, moderate shaking
Peak ground acceleration: 7.5% of gravity
Peak ground velocity: 1.3 cm/s
Map: Automatic

USGS ShakeMap: estimated shaking intensity around the epicenter — Estimated shaking intensity. Map: USGS ShakeMap.

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 1.4 km horizontally, 0.9 km in depth
Depth from: From location
Station coverage gap: 236°, poorly surrounded by stations
Stations used: 15

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.2 and up: 42 in the 60 days after this one and 25 in the 30 days before it.

After

Before

Earthquakes today California earthquakes Live radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1044459 (also filed as ushis3504, usp0000ypq). Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 7:07 AM UTC.