California earthquakes

M2.4 earthquake 8 km WNW of Belden, California

A magnitude 2.4 earthquake struck 8 km WNW of Belden, California on Sat, Dec 19, 1981, 4:40 PM PST (00:40 UTC), 4 km (2 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M3.9 4 km N of Plumas Eureka, California. This one was a foreshock.

Chester forecastMore in California

Map

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

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The earthquake

Magnitude
2.4 (Md, duration), micro
Magnitude from
Northern California Seismic System
Local time
UTC
1981-12-20 00:40:18 UTC
Depth
3.6 km (2.2 mi), shallow
Epicenter
40.034° N, 121.343° W
Tsunami flag
No
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

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 1.1 km horizontally, 8.3 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.09
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
193°, poorly surrounded by stations
Stations used
7

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 67 in the 60 days after this one and 9 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 3.2Northern California · 16355 days ago · 0 km deep · 52 km away
  2. 1.64 km N of Shingletown, California · 16355 days ago · 3 km deep · 72 km away
  3. 2.420 km WSW of Old Station, CA · 16354 days ago · 7 km deep · 67 km away
  4. 1.86 km W of Dobbins, California · 16354 days ago · 14 km deep · 74 km away
  5. 2.110 km SW of Lake Almanor West, California · 16353 days ago · 4 km deep · 15 km away
  6. 2.20 km WNW of Millville, California · 16350 days ago · 19 km deep · 91 km away
  7. 1.814 km NNE of Mineral, California · 16348 days ago · 2 km deep · 51 km away
  8. 2.66 km W of Sierra City, California · 16347 days ago · 19 km deep · 76 km away
  9. 1.519 km SE of Round Mountain, California · 16345 days ago · 29 km deep · 81 km away
  10. 1.914 km NNE of Mineral, California · 16344 days ago · 3 km deep · 51 km away
  11. 2.73 km WNW of Greenville, California · 16343 days ago · 2 km deep · 33 km away
  12. 2.212 km NE of Beckwourth, California · 16341 days ago · 0 km deep · 91 km away
  13. 3.94 km N of Plumas Eureka, California · 16340 days ago · -1 km deep · 63 km away
  14. 2.44 km WNW of Plumas Eureka, California · 16339 days ago · 5 km deep · 61 km away
  15. 1.621 km WSW of Old Station, California · 16338 days ago · 7 km deep · 66 km away
  16. 1.71 km NNE of Loma Rica, California · 16337 days ago · 5 km deep · 79 km away
  17. 2.09 km SW of Sattley, California · 16336 days ago · 13 km deep · 90 km away
  18. 1.711 km WSW of Chester, California · 16334 days ago · 8 km deep · 24 km away
  19. 1.815 km ESE of Mineral, California · 16333 days ago · 7 km deep · 31 km away
  20. 1.915 km W of Lake Almanor West, California · 16333 days ago · 10 km deep · 21 km away
  21. 2.27 km SW of Sierraville, California · 16331 days ago · 4 km deep · 96 km away
  22. 1.612 km WSW of Chester, CA · 16330 days ago · 0 km deep · 25 km away
  23. 1.614 km W of Chester, California · 16329 days ago · 6 km deep · 30 km away
  24. 1.819 km SW of Old Station, California · 16326 days ago · 8 km deep · 64 km away
  25. 1.62 km NE of Prattville, California · 16324 days ago · 0 km deep · 27 km away
  26. 2.112 km SW of Old Station, California · 16323 days ago · 13 km deep · 66 km away
  27. 1.92 km SSW of Old Station, California · 16318 days ago · -1 km deep · 69 km away
  28. 2.09 km NNW of Sierra City, California · 16317 days ago · 28 km deep · 72 km away
  29. 1.913 km NNE of Mineral, California · 16317 days ago · 3 km deep · 49 km away
  30. 1.613 km SSE of Mineral, California · 16316 days ago · 24 km deep · 28 km away
  31. 1.516 km NNW of Chester, California · 16316 days ago · 0 km deep · 45 km away
  32. 2.88 km W of Janesville, California · 16316 days ago · 3 km deep · 69 km away
  33. 2.04 km WSW of Belden, California · 16314 days ago · 4 km deep · 7 km away
  34. 1.912 km SSW of Old Station, California · 16314 days ago · 3 km deep · 62 km away
  35. 2.64 km WSW of Susanville, California · 16313 days ago · -2 km deep · 68 km away
  36. 1.96 km SE of Belden, California · 16313 days ago · 5 km deep · 15 km away
  37. 1.99 km WSW of Plumas Eureka (historical), California · 16310 days ago · 5 km deep · 58 km away
  38. 1.72 km WSW of Princeton, California · 16308 days ago · 12 km deep · 92 km away
  39. 1.72 km WNW of Princeton, California · 16308 days ago · 15 km deep · 91 km away
  40. 3.05 km NW of Princeton, California · 16308 days ago · 17 km deep · 90 km away
  41. 1.74 km NW of Princeton, California · 16307 days ago · 15 km deep · 90 km away
  42. 1.73 km SSE of Palermo, California · 16307 days ago · 5 km deep · 71 km away
  43. 1.513 km NNE of Mineral, California · 16307 days ago · 2 km deep · 51 km away
  44. 1.911 km SW of Butte Meadows, California · 16305 days ago · 7 km deep · 26 km away
  45. 1.615 km NNE of Mineral, California · 16304 days ago · 2 km deep · 51 km away
  46. 2.516 km NNE of Princeton, California · 16302 days ago · 19 km deep · 76 km away
  47. 1.917 km N of Princeton, California · 16301 days ago · 5 km deep · 76 km away
  48. 2.016 km NE of Shingletown, California · 16300 days ago · 5 km deep · 73 km away
  49. 1.810 km N of Princeton, California · 16300 days ago · 22 km deep · 82 km away
  50. 2.010 km SW of Old Station, California · 16300 days ago · 1 km deep · 67 km away
  51. 2.518 km WSW of Old Station, California · 16300 days ago · 6 km deep · 70 km away
  52. 1.821 km WSW of Old Station, California · 16300 days ago · 5 km deep · 72 km away
  53. 2.218 km WSW of Old Station, California · 16299 days ago · 0 km deep · 71 km away
  54. 2.116 km WSW of Old Station, California · 16299 days ago · 7 km deep · 70 km away
  55. 1.618 km WSW of Old Station, California · 16299 days ago · 1 km deep · 71 km away
  56. 1.817 km WSW of Old Station, California · 16299 days ago · 5 km deep · 70 km away
  57. 2.618 km WSW of Old Station, California · 16299 days ago · 4 km deep · 70 km away
  58. 1.51 km NW of Chico, California · 16299 days ago · 16 km deep · 54 km away
  59. 1.812 km WSW of Old Station, California · 16299 days ago · 6 km deep · 68 km away
  60. 2.018 km WSW of Old Station, California · 16299 days ago · 3 km deep · 71 km away

The first 60 of 67.

Before

  1. 2.12 km SE of South Oroville, California · 16364 days ago · 9 km deep · 64 km away
  2. 2.77 km WNW of Paradise, California · 16365 days ago · 5 km deep · 42 km away
  3. 1.85 km WNW of Manton, California · 16368 days ago · 3 km deep · 68 km away
  4. 1.94 km NW of Lake Almanor West, California · 16371 days ago · 26 km deep · 27 km away
  5. 1.62 km E of Shingletown, California · 16372 days ago · 3 km deep · 67 km away
  6. 1.815 km WSW of Chester, California · 16372 days ago · 3 km deep · 25 km away
  7. 1.93 km S of South Oroville, California · 16374 days ago · 11 km deep · 66 km away
  8. 1.6Northern California · 16386 days ago · 8 km deep · 63 km away
  9. 2.015 km SSW of Old Station, California · 16386 days ago · 5 km deep · 60 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1070460. Read Thu, Oct 1, 2026, 8:03 AM UTC.