California earthquakes

M3.2 earthquake 31 km SW of Ferndale, California

A magnitude 3.2 earthquake struck 31 km SW of Ferndale, California on Tue, Nov 24, 1981, 10:37 AM PST (18:37 UTC), 28 km (17 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M3.8 72 km W 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
3.2 (ml), minor
Local time
UTC
1981-11-24 18:37:29 UTC
Depth
27.7 km (17.2 mi), shallow
Epicenter
40.379° N, 124.535° 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 1.8 km horizontally, 1.0 km in depth
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
250°, poorly surrounded by stations
Stations used
24

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 98 in the 60 days after this one and 84 in the 30 days before it.

After

The first 60 of 98.

Before

Earthquakes todayCalifornia earthquakesLive radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1069698. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 3:44 PM UTC.