M3.8 earthquake 37 km SW of Ferndale, California

A magnitude 3.8 earthquake struck 37 km SW of Ferndale, California on Sun, Oct 25, 1981, 9:18 AM PST (17:18 UTC), 28 km (18 mi) below the surface.

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

Map

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

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
3.8	ML, local (Richter)	Northern California Seismic System	Preferred · Final · 0 stations
3.6	mb, body-wave	USGS National Earthquake Information Center	Reviewed · 1 stations

No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.

Reviewed by a seismologist.

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

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 135 in the 60 days after this one and 100 in the 30 days before it.

The first 60 of 135.

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1068916 (also filed as usp0001gp2). Read Fri, Oct 2, 2026, 11:08 AM UTC.