California earthquakes

M3.3 earthquake 38 km SW of Ferndale, California

A magnitude 3.3 earthquake struck 38 km SW of Ferndale, California on Sat, May 23, 1981, 11:43 AM PDT (18:43 UTC), 27 km (17 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M4.6 58 km WSW of Ferndale, California. This one was a foreshock.

Ferndale 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
3.3 (md), minor
Local time
UTC
1981-05-23 18:43:10 UTC
Depth
27.4 km (17.0 mi), shallow
Epicenter
40.336° N, 124.593° 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 1.0 km horizontally, 1.0 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.07
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
265°, poorly surrounded by stations
Stations used
21

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 180 in the 60 days after this one and 19 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 2.83 km SSW of Scotia, California · 16557 days ago · 9 km deep · 42 km away
  2. 2.911 km S of Scotia, California · 16557 days ago · 12 km deep · 41 km away
  3. 3.150 km WSW of Ferndale, California · 16556 days ago · 34 km deep · 16 km away
  4. 1.914 km NE of Hydesville, California · 16556 days ago · 24 km deep · 62 km away
  5. 1.9Northern California · 16555 days ago · 22 km deep · 66 km away
  6. 4.658 km WSW of Ferndale, California · 16555 days ago · 2 km deep · 27 km away
  7. 3.523 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 16555 days ago · 27 km deep · 17 km away
  8. 2.224 km SW of Ferndale, California · 16555 days ago · 27 km deep · 15 km away
  9. 2.1near the coast of Northern California · 16554 days ago · 31 km deep · 16 km away
  10. 2.873 km WNW of Ferndale, California · 16554 days ago · 14 km deep · 63 km away
  11. 2.341 km SW of Ferndale, California · 16554 days ago · 21 km deep · 3 km away
  12. 2.015 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 16554 days ago · 28 km deep · 27 km away
  13. 2.633 km SW of Ferndale, California · 16554 days ago · 27 km deep · 7 km away
  14. 3.013 km W of Ruth, California · 16553 days ago · 22 km deep · 94 km away
  15. 2.239 km SW of Ferndale, California · 16552 days ago · 24 km deep · 1 km away
  16. 2.843 km SW of Ferndale, California · 16552 days ago · 21 km deep · 7 km away
  17. 2.936 km SW of Ferndale, California · 16552 days ago · 29 km deep · 4 km away
  18. 1.645 km SW of Ferndale, California · 16551 days ago · 18 km deep · 7 km away
  19. 3.711 km SW of Willow Creek, California · 16550 days ago · 28 km deep · 93 km away
  20. 2.322 km WSW of Weott, California · 16550 days ago · 1 km deep · 39 km away
  21. 1.616 km WNW of Samoa, California · 16549 days ago · 22 km deep · 66 km away
  22. 2.464 km SW of Ferndale, California · 16548 days ago · 4 km deep · 27 km away
  23. 1.631 km SW of Ferndale, California · 16548 days ago · 34 km deep · 10 km away
  24. 2.225 km SW of Ferndale, California · 16548 days ago · 19 km deep · 13 km away
  25. 1.737 km SW of Ferndale, California · 16548 days ago · 35 km deep · 5 km away
  26. 2.225 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 16547 days ago · 27 km deep · 15 km away
  27. 2.342 km SW of Ferndale, California · 16547 days ago · 23 km deep · 4 km away
  28. 2.610 km WNW of Fields Landing, California · 16547 days ago · 25 km deep · 53 km away
  29. 2.137 km WNW of Ferndale, California · 16546 days ago · 20 km deep · 39 km away
  30. 2.240 km WNW of Ferndale, California · 16546 days ago · 19 km deep · 39 km away
  31. 2.338 km WNW of Indianola, California · 16546 days ago · 9 km deep · 51 km away
  32. 2.236 km SW of Ferndale, California · 16546 days ago · 28 km deep · 6 km away
  33. 1.57 km WNW of McKinleyville, California · 16546 days ago · 20 km deep · 79 km away
  34. 2.637 km SW of Ferndale, California · 16545 days ago · 28 km deep · 2 km away
  35. 2.421 km WNW of Ferndale, California · 16544 days ago · 24 km deep · 37 km away
  36. 2.384 km WNW of Samoa, California · 16544 days ago · 4 km deep · 90 km away
  37. 2.96 km NE of Miranda, California · 16543 days ago · 28 km deep · 70 km away
  38. 1.718 km WSW of Scotia, California · 16542 days ago · 28 km deep · 27 km away
  39. 2.414 km WNW of Fields Landing, California · 16542 days ago · 24 km deep · 49 km away
  40. 2.314 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 16542 days ago · 23 km deep · 27 km away
  41. 1.633 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 16541 days ago · 24 km deep · 10 km away
  42. 1.513 km NE of Fieldbrook, California · 16541 days ago · 5 km deep · 97 km away
  43. 2.554 km WNW of Samoa, California · 16541 days ago · 14 km deep · 72 km away
  44. 3.398 km WSW of Ferndale, California · 16541 days ago · 65 km deep · 66 km away
  45. 2.197 km WSW of Ferndale, California · 16540 days ago · 7 km deep · 68 km away
  46. 1.812 km WSW of Ferndale, California · 16540 days ago · 16 km deep · 27 km away
  47. 2.3111 km W of Ferndale, California · 16539 days ago · 4 km deep · 83 km away
  48. 2.22 km SSE of Benbow, California · 16539 days ago · 17 km deep · 76 km away
  49. 2.139 km SW of Ferndale, California · 16539 days ago · 28 km deep · 1 km away
  50. 2.48 km SSW of Scotia, California · 16538 days ago · 22 km deep · 40 km away
  51. 1.6near the coast of Northern California · 16538 days ago · 23 km deep · 21 km away
  52. 2.122 km SW of Ferndale, California · 16538 days ago · 22 km deep · 17 km away
  53. 2.513 km NW of Manila, California · 16538 days ago · 10 km deep · 70 km away
  54. 1.522 km WSW of Ferndale, California · 16538 days ago · 27 km deep · 20 km away
  55. 2.6near the coast of Northern California · 16538 days ago · 11 km deep · 70 km away
  56. 1.925 km W of Trinidad, California · 16538 days ago · 18 km deep · 78 km away
  57. 2.413 km NW of Manila, California · 16538 days ago · 11 km deep · 71 km away
  58. 2.014 km NW of Manila, California · 16538 days ago · 10 km deep · 71 km away
  59. 2.613 km NW of Manila, California · 16538 days ago · 12 km deep · 70 km away
  60. 3.112 km NW of Manila, California · 16538 days ago · 11 km deep · 70 km away

The first 60 of 180.

Before

  1. 2.417 km SW of Mad River, California · 16558 days ago · 21 km deep · 78 km away
  2. 1.617 km ENE of Hydesville, California · 16559 days ago · 21 km deep · 66 km away
  3. 2.117 km SW of Mad River, California · 16559 days ago · 21 km deep · 78 km away
  4. 1.57 km SSW of Mad River, California · 16559 days ago · 27 km deep · 90 km away
  5. 2.216 km SW of Mad River, California · 16559 days ago · 22 km deep · 79 km away
  6. 4.227 km W of Trinidad, California · 16559 days ago · 23 km deep · 85 km away
  7. 1.816 km NE of Miranda, California · 16560 days ago · 20 km deep · 76 km away
  8. 2.917 km SW of Mad River, California · 16560 days ago · 22 km deep · 78 km away
  9. 2.916 km SW of Mad River, California · 16560 days ago · 21 km deep · 79 km away
  10. 2.23 km NNW of Redway, California · 16563 days ago · 17 km deep · 68 km away
  11. 2.47 km NNW of Manila, California · 16563 days ago · 6 km deep · 73 km away
  12. 3.339 km SW of Ferndale, California · 16563 days ago · 24 km deep · 1 km away
  13. 1.88 km WNW of Indianola, California · 16564 days ago · 4 km deep · 47 km away
  14. 2.911 km W of Indianola, California · 16565 days ago · 11 km deep · 44 km away
  15. 1.811 km W of Indianola, California · 16565 days ago · 12 km deep · 44 km away
  16. 2.214 km WSW of Trinidad, California · 16565 days ago · 5 km deep · 79 km away
  17. 1.634 km SW of Ferndale, California · 16566 days ago · 23 km deep · 8 km away
  18. 1.73 km W of Scotia, California · 16566 days ago · 20 km deep · 41 km away
  19. 1.71 km NE of Humboldt Hill, California · 16566 days ago · 1 km deep · 56 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1063938. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 10:57 AM UTC.