California earthquakes

M4.7 earthquake 36 km SW of Ferndale, California

A magnitude 4.7 earthquake struck 36 km SW of Ferndale, California on Wed, Sep 16, 1981, 5:41 AM PDT (12:41 UTC), 28 km (17 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: 4.7 (ML, local (Richter)), light
Magnitude from: Northern California Seismic System
Local time: Wed, Sep 16, 1981, 5:41 AM PDT
UTC: 1981-09-16 12:41:14 UTC
Depth: 27.6 km (17.2 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 40.332° N, 124.557° W
Region: California
Tsunami flag: No
Status: Reviewed by a seismologist

Magnitude estimates

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
4.74	ML, local (Richter)	Northern California Seismic System	Preferred · Final · 5 stations
4.8	mb, body-wave	USGS National Earthquake Information Center	Reviewed · 13 stations
3.9	Ms, surface-wave	USGS historic United States catalog	Final

What happened

The USGS’s account of the effects of this earthquake.

FELT (V) AT WEOTT AND WHITETHORN. FELT (IV) IN MANY AREAS OF HUMBOLDT AND NORTHERN MENDOCINO COUNTIES.

Maximum observed Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) V

From the USGS event page for nc1067679. U.S. Geological Survey text and figures are in the public domain.

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 1.2 km horizontally, 1.0 km in depth
Depth from: From location
Station coverage gap: 239°, poorly surrounded by stations
Stations used: 33

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.7 and up: 147 in the 60 days after this one and 43 in the 30 days before it.

After

The first 60 of 147.

Before

Earthquakes today California earthquakes Live radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1067679 (also filed as ushis3725, usp0001fx6). Read Thu, Oct 1, 2026, 4:16 PM UTC.