California earthquakes

M2.1 earthquake 40 km SW of Ferndale, California

A magnitude 2.1 earthquake struck 40 km SW of Ferndale, California on Wed, Sep 16, 1981, 7:29 AM PDT (14:29 UTC), 27 km (17 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M4.0 36 km SW of Ferndale, California. This one was a foreshock.

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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
2.1 (Md, duration), micro
Magnitude from
Northern California Seismic System
Local time
UTC
1981-09-16 14:29:51 UTC
Depth
27.4 km (17.0 mi), shallow
Epicenter
40.322° N, 124.600° 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 1.9 km horizontally, 1.6 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.27
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
281°, poorly surrounded by stations
Stations used
12

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: at least 199 in the 60 days after this one and 63 in the 30 days before it.

After

The first 60 of at least 199.

Before

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1067688. Read Sat, Oct 3, 2026, 3:23 PM UTC.