M3.2 earthquake 34 km SW of Ferndale, California

Magnitude

3.2 (Md, duration), minor

Magnitude from

Northern California Seismic System

Local time

Wed, Sep 16, 1981, 5:45 AM PDT

UTC

1981-09-16 12:45:08 UTC

Depth

29.9 km (18.6 mi), shallow

Epicenter

40.321° N, 124.493° W

Region

California

Tsunami flag

No

Status

Reviewed by a seismologist

Location uncertainty

About 2.2 km horizontally, 1.4 km in depth

Magnitude uncertainty

±0.08

Depth from

From location

Station coverage gap

251°, poorly surrounded by stations

Stations used

15

• Ferndale, CaliforniaPopulation 1,369. Forecast34 kmSW
• Fortuna, CaliforniaPopulation 12,000. Forecast42 kmSW
• Chico, CaliforniaPopulation 121,345. Forecast236 kmWNW
• Los Angeles, CaliforniaPopulation 3,820,914. Forecast890 kmNW

After

1. 3.636 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaWed, Sep 16, 5:45 AM PDT · 16451 days ago · 29 km deep · 5 km away
2. 3.035 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaWed, Sep 16, 5:59 AM PDT · 16451 days ago · 28 km deep · 2 km away
3. 1.837 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaWed, Sep 16, 6:18 AM PDT · 16451 days ago · 26 km deep · 3 km away
4. 1.837 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaWed, Sep 16, 7:16 AM PDT · 16451 days ago · 26 km deep · 5 km away
5. 2.140 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaWed, Sep 16, 7:29 AM PDT · 16451 days ago · 27 km deep · 9 km away
6. 1.915 km ESE of Pine Hills, CaliforniaWed, Sep 16, 7:58 AM PDT · 16451 days ago · 22 km deep · 57 km away
7. 3.031 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaWed, Sep 16, 8:15 AM PDT · 16451 days ago · 25 km deep · 3 km away
8. 1.943 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaWed, Sep 16, 8:25 AM PDT · 16451 days ago · 31 km deep · 11 km away
9. 1.620 km W of Trinidad, CaliforniaWed, Sep 16, 8:25 AM PDT · 16451 days ago · 9 km deep · 84 km away
10. 1.838 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaWed, Sep 16, 11:46 AM PDT · 16451 days ago · 29 km deep · 9 km away
11. 2.837 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaWed, Sep 16, 11:49 AM PDT · 16451 days ago · 27 km deep · 6 km away
12. 2.433 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaWed, Sep 16, 7:39 PM PDT · 16450 days ago · 26 km deep · 2 km away
13. 1.935 km SSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaWed, Sep 16, 8:05 PM PDT · 16450 days ago · 25 km deep · 5 km away
14. 2.111 km WSW of Scotia, CaliforniaWed, Sep 16, 8:28 PM PDT · 16450 days ago · 30 km deep · 26 km away
15. 2.160 km W of Ferndale, CaliforniaThu, Sep 17, 5:05 AM PDT · 16450 days ago · 15 km deep · 47 km away
16. 1.69 km SSE of Blue Lake, CaliforniaThu, Sep 17, 6:55 AM PDT · 16450 days ago · 26 km deep · 72 km away
17. 1.837 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaThu, Sep 17, 8:07 AM PDT · 16450 days ago · 27 km deep · 6 km away
18. 1.819 km SW of Scotia, CaliforniaThu, Sep 17, 11:41 AM PDT · 16450 days ago · 31 km deep · 21 km away
19. 1.937 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaThu, Sep 17, 2:52 PM PDT · 16449 days ago · 28 km deep · 6 km away
20. 1.914 km S of Scotia, CaliforniaFri, Sep 18, 2:25 AM PDT · 16449 days ago · 31 km deep · 31 km away
21. 1.710 km W of Scotia, CaliforniaFri, Sep 18, 3:15 AM PDT · 16449 days ago · 22 km deep · 28 km away
22. 1.73 km SE of Scotia, CaliforniaFri, Sep 18, 9:07 AM PDT · 16449 days ago · 26 km deep · 39 km away
23. 3.337 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaFri, Sep 18, 4:34 PM PDT · 16448 days ago · 28 km deep · 6 km away
24. 2.117 km WNW of Indianola, CaliforniaFri, Sep 18, 8:59 PM PDT · 16448 days ago · 24 km deep · 48 km away
25. 1.749 km WSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaSat, Sep 19, 5:19 AM PDT · 16448 days ago · 5 km deep · 22 km away
26. 1.726 km WSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaSat, Sep 19, 5:42 AM PDT · 16448 days ago · 25 km deep · 16 km away
27. 2.333 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaSat, Sep 19, 9:10 AM PDT · 16448 days ago · 28 km deep · 5 km away
28. 2.045 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaSat, Sep 19, 10:36 PM PDT · 16447 days ago · 24 km deep · 17 km away
29. 2.028 km SW of Scotia, CaliforniaSun, Sep 20, 12:47 AM PDT · 16447 days ago · 8 km deep · 17 km away
30. 1.50 km E of Ferndale, CaliforniaMon, Sep 21, 12:11 AM PDT · 16446 days ago · 5 km deep · 35 km away
31. 3.435 km SSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaMon, Sep 21, 4:21 AM PDT · 16446 days ago · 12 km deep · 3 km away
32. 2.641 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaMon, Sep 21, 6:11 PM PDT · 16445 days ago · 26 km deep · 11 km away
33. 3.336 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaMon, Sep 21, 11:01 PM PDT · 16445 days ago · 27 km deep · 4 km away
34. 2.340 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaTue, Sep 22, 2:31 AM PDT · 16445 days ago · 28 km deep · 11 km away
35. 1.941 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaThu, Sep 24, 6:23 AM PDT · 16443 days ago · 30 km deep · 10 km away
36. 3.041 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaSat, Sep 26, 9:07 AM PDT · 16441 days ago · 20 km deep · 14 km away
37. 3.243 km WNW of Shelter Cove, CaliforniaSat, Sep 26, 1:27 PM PDT · 16440 days ago · 0 km deep · 18 km away
38. 2.118 km WSW of Scotia, CaliforniaSat, Sep 26, 2:45 PM PDT · 16440 days ago · 30 km deep · 19 km away
39. 2.034 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaSat, Sep 26, 5:56 PM PDT · 16440 days ago · 30 km deep · 1 km away
40. 1.630 km SSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaSun, Sep 27, 1:37 AM PDT · 16440 days ago · 32 km deep · 6 km away
41. 2.337 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaSun, Sep 27, 4:40 AM PDT · 16440 days ago · 26 km deep · 6 km away
42. 1.632 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaSun, Sep 27, 4:43 AM PDT · 16440 days ago · 34 km deep · 4 km away
43. 2.936 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaSun, Sep 27, 1:27 PM PDT · 16439 days ago · 23 km deep · 3 km away
44. 1.540 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaSun, Sep 27, 5:09 PM PDT · 16439 days ago · 24 km deep · 8 km away
45. 2.137 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaMon, Sep 28, 6:46 AM PDT · 16439 days ago · 28 km deep · 7 km away
46. 1.530 km SSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaMon, Sep 28, 10:03 AM PDT · 16439 days ago · 29 km deep · 9 km away
47. 2.511 km SE of Blue Lake, CaliforniaTue, Sep 29, 8:30 AM PDT · 16438 days ago · 25 km deep · 73 km away
48. 2.511 km SSE of Blue Lake, CaliforniaTue, Sep 29, 8:50 AM PDT · 16438 days ago · 26 km deep · 72 km away
49. 1.838 km W of Ferndale, CaliforniaWed, Sep 30, 3:34 AM PDT · 16437 days ago · 20 km deep · 37 km away
50. 2.239 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaThu, Oct 1, 4:28 AM PDT · 16436 days ago · 29 km deep · 10 km away
51. 2.6off the coast of Northern CaliforniaThu, Oct 1, 5:11 AM PDT · 16436 days ago · 4 km deep · 93 km away
52. 2.037 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaFri, Oct 2, 4:06 AM PDT · 16435 days ago · 32 km deep · 6 km away
53. 2.138 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaFri, Oct 2, 6:31 AM PDT · 16435 days ago · 27 km deep · 6 km away
54. 1.83 km S of Humboldt Hill, CaliforniaSat, Oct 3, 1:59 AM PDT · 16434 days ago · 17 km deep · 49 km away
55. 2.356 km W of Indianola, CaliforniaSat, Oct 3, 2:36 AM PDT · 16434 days ago · 24 km deep · 61 km away
56. 2.52 km NE of Redway, CaliforniaSat, Oct 3, 5:56 AM PDT · 16434 days ago · 19 km deep · 62 km away
57. 2.822 km WSW of Weott, CaliforniaSat, Oct 3, 9:46 AM PDT · 16434 days ago · 7 km deep · 30 km away
58. 2.034 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaSat, Oct 3, 5:10 PM PDT · 16433 days ago · 27 km deep · 12 km away
59. 2.14 km SW of Big Lagoon, CaliforniaSun, Oct 4, 3:02 AM PDT · 16433 days ago · 13 km deep · 94 km away
60. 1.65 km S of Ferndale, CaliforniaSun, Oct 4, 4:36 AM PDT · 16433 days ago · 26 km deep · 31 km away

The first 60 of at least 200.

Before

1. 4.736 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaWed, Sep 16, 5:41 AM PDT · 16451 days ago · 28 km deep · 6 km away
2. 1.921 km SSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaTue, Sep 15, 10:24 PM PDT · 16451 days ago · 21 km deep · 13 km away
3. 3.29 km SSE of Blue Lake, CaliforniaTue, Sep 15, 3:07 PM PDT · 16451 days ago · 26 km deep · 72 km away
4. 2.370 km W of Indianola, CaliforniaTue, Sep 15, 4:25 AM PDT · 16452 days ago · 4 km deep · 70 km away
5. 1.750 km WNW of Indianola, CaliforniaMon, Sep 14, 10:35 PM PDT · 16452 days ago · -1 km deep · 59 km away
6. 1.627 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaMon, Sep 14, 4:53 PM PDT · 16452 days ago · 17 km deep · 7 km away
7. 1.628 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaMon, Sep 14, 4:07 PM PDT · 16452 days ago · 18 km deep · 7 km away
8. 1.839 km WSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaMon, Sep 14, 9:24 AM PDT · 16453 days ago · 48 km deep · 19 km away
9. 1.638 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaMon, Sep 14, 1:54 AM PDT · 16453 days ago · 23 km deep · 5 km away
10. 2.921 km NW of Mad River, CaliforniaSun, Sep 13, 10:30 AM PDT · 16454 days ago · 23 km deep · 71 km away
11. 1.66 km SSE of Ferndale, CaliforniaSun, Sep 13, 7:55 AM PDT · 16454 days ago · 23 km deep · 30 km away
12. 1.631 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaSat, Sep 12, 11:12 PM PDT · 16454 days ago · 32 km deep · 3 km away
13. 1.828 km WSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaSat, Sep 12, 5:07 PM PDT · 16454 days ago · 24 km deep · 20 km away
14. 1.928 km SSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaSat, Sep 12, 2:40 AM PDT · 16455 days ago · 18 km deep · 6 km away
15. 2.983 km WSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaThu, Sep 10, 9:41 PM PDT · 16456 days ago · 11 km deep · 60 km away
16. 2.049 km W of Ferndale, CaliforniaWed, Sep 9, 11:43 AM PDT · 16458 days ago · 20 km deep · 35 km away
17. 2.614 km ESE of Pine Hills, CaliforniaTue, Sep 8, 4:06 PM PDT · 16458 days ago · 22 km deep · 57 km away
18. 2.325 km WSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaSun, Sep 6, 1:47 AM PDT · 16461 days ago · 27 km deep · 15 km away
19. 1.947 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaSat, Sep 5, 11:56 AM PDT · 16462 days ago · 19 km deep · 19 km away
20. 1.637 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaSat, Sep 5, 2:08 AM PDT · 16462 days ago · 22 km deep · 4 km away

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1067680. Read Thu, Oct 1, 2026, 7:32 AM UTC.