M3.8 earthquake 72 km W of Ferndale, California

Magnitude

3.8 (md), minor

Local time

Wed, Dec 2, 1981, 10:46 AM PST

UTC

1981-12-02 18:46:32 UTC

Depth

43.1 km (26.8 mi), shallow

Epicenter

40.618° N, 125.117° W

Region

California

Tsunami flag

No

Status

Reviewed by a seismologist

Location uncertainty

About 9.5 km horizontally, 5.9 km in depth

Depth from

From location

Station coverage gap

312°, poorly surrounded by stations

Stations used

10

• Ferndale, CaliforniaPopulation 1,369. Forecast72 kmW
• Fortuna, CaliforniaPopulation 12,000. Forecast81 kmW
• Chico, CaliforniaPopulation 121,345. Forecast296 kmWNW

After

1. 3.7109 km W of Ferndale, CaliforniaWed, Dec 2, 10:48 AM PST · 16365 days ago · 5 km deep · 38 km away
2. 1.737 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaWed, Dec 2, 4:08 PM PST · 16365 days ago · 31 km deep · 57 km away
3. 1.927 km SSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaSat, Dec 5, 9:15 AM PST · 16362 days ago · 19 km deep · 67 km away
4. 2.311 km NW of Manila, CaliforniaSat, Dec 5, 12:47 PM PST · 16362 days ago · 8 km deep · 79 km away
5. 2.0near the coast of Northern CaliforniaSat, Dec 5, 11:55 PM PST · 16362 days ago · 9 km deep · 72 km away
6. 1.72 km SW of Loleta, CaliforniaSun, Dec 6, 2:53 AM PST · 16361 days ago · 18 km deep · 73 km away
7. 1.817 km WSW of Trinidad, CaliforniaSun, Dec 6, 6:06 PM PST · 16361 days ago · 11 km deep · 78 km away
8. 2.337 km SSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaWed, Dec 9, 3:37 PM PST · 16358 days ago · 19 km deep · 64 km away
9. 2.935 km SSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaFri, Dec 11, 2:11 AM PST · 16356 days ago · 32 km deep · 65 km away
10. 3.012 km W of Ferndale, CaliforniaFri, Dec 11, 5:16 PM PST · 16356 days ago · 21 km deep · 60 km away
11. 2.132 km WNW of Big Lagoon, CaliforniaFri, Dec 11, 5:59 PM PST · 16356 days ago · 32 km deep · 95 km away
12. 1.825 km WSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaSun, Dec 13, 4:46 PM PST · 16354 days ago · 25 km deep · 54 km away
13. 2.348 km W of Ferndale, CaliforniaMon, Dec 14, 5:02 AM PST · 16353 days ago · 14 km deep · 24 km away
14. 2.05 km WSW of Scotia, CaliforniaTue, Dec 15, 3:41 AM PST · 16352 days ago · 19 km deep · 83 km away
15. 1.726 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaTue, Dec 15, 3:14 PM PST · 16352 days ago · 38 km deep · 56 km away
16. 1.723 km WSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaTue, Dec 15, 3:46 PM PST · 16352 days ago · 25 km deep · 55 km away
17. 2.022 km WSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaTue, Dec 15, 3:50 PM PST · 16352 days ago · 25 km deep · 55 km away
18. 2.528 km SSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaWed, Dec 16, 2:57 AM PST · 16351 days ago · 18 km deep · 64 km away
19. 1.810 km SSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaWed, Dec 16, 9:50 AM PST · 16351 days ago · 27 km deep · 69 km away
20. 1.67 km WNW of McKinleyville, CaliforniaWed, Dec 16, 11:24 AM PST · 16351 days ago · 4 km deep · 89 km away
21. 2.541 km WSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaWed, Dec 16, 3:30 PM PST · 16351 days ago · 7 km deep · 35 km away
22. 2.066 km WSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaFri, Dec 18, 2:53 AM PST · 16349 days ago · 5 km deep · 30 km away
23. 1.936 km WSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaFri, Dec 18, 8:59 AM PST · 16349 days ago · 23 km deep · 42 km away
24. 2.444 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaFri, Dec 18, 10:27 AM PST · 16349 days ago · 18 km deep · 52 km away
25. 2.815 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaFri, Dec 18, 3:52 PM PST · 16349 days ago · 22 km deep · 63 km away
26. 1.618 km SW of Scotia, CaliforniaFri, Dec 18, 6:47 PM PST · 16349 days ago · 33 km deep · 80 km away
27. 1.541 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaSun, Dec 20, 6:12 AM PST · 16347 days ago · 15 km deep · 61 km away
28. 1.611 km ENE of Scotia, CaliforniaSun, Dec 20, 8:34 AM PST · 16347 days ago · 3 km deep · 97 km away
29. 1.54 km S of Scotia, CaliforniaMon, Dec 21, 6:59 AM PST · 16346 days ago · 25 km deep · 88 km away
30. 2.149 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaMon, Dec 21, 11:04 AM PST · 16346 days ago · 25 km deep · 49 km away
31. 2.337 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaWed, Dec 23, 1:49 PM PST · 16344 days ago · 22 km deep · 62 km away
32. 2.0108 km W of Ferndale, CaliforniaWed, Dec 23, 3:03 PM PST · 16344 days ago · 4 km deep · 41 km away
33. 1.82 km E of Pine Hills, CaliforniaWed, Dec 23, 8:32 PM PST · 16344 days ago · 4 km deep · 85 km away
34. 3.538 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaSat, Dec 26, 3:42 AM PST · 16341 days ago · 27 km deep · 59 km away
35. 2.536 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaSun, Dec 27, 3:17 AM PST · 16340 days ago · 26 km deep · 58 km away
36. 2.06 km ESE of Ferndale, CaliforniaSun, Dec 27, 2:17 PM PST · 16340 days ago · 12 km deep · 78 km away
37. 1.84 km WSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaMon, Dec 28, 12:58 AM PST · 16340 days ago · 7 km deep · 68 km away
38. 1.611 km WSW of Redcrest, CaliforniaMon, Dec 28, 1:39 AM PST · 16339 days ago · 26 km deep · 93 km away
39. 1.819 km WSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaWed, Dec 30, 7:58 PM PST · 16337 days ago · 23 km deep · 54 km away
40. 1.614 km ESE of Pine Hills, CaliforniaWed, Dec 30, 10:59 PM PST · 16337 days ago · 23 km deep · 96 km away
41. 2.9141 km W of Ferndale, CaliforniaThu, Dec 31, 7:05 PM PST · 16336 days ago · 5 km deep · 71 km away
42. 2.69 km WSW of Indianola, CaliforniaThu, Dec 31, 8:29 PM PST · 16336 days ago · 11 km deep · 65 km away
43. 1.52 km ENE of Westhaven-Moonstone, CaliforniaFri, Jan 1, 11:58 AM PST · 16335 days ago · 23 km deep · 100 km away
44. 1.732 km SW of Scotia, CaliforniaSun, Jan 3, 4:51 AM PST · 16333 days ago · 5 km deep · 70 km away
45. 1.932 km SW of Scotia, CaliforniaSun, Jan 3, 9:14 AM PST · 16333 days ago · 20 km deep · 73 km away
46. 2.41 km ENE of Loleta, CaliforniaSun, Jan 3, 10:30 AM PST · 16333 days ago · 21 km deep · 77 km away
47. 1.516 km WSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaMon, Jan 4, 12:07 AM PST · 16333 days ago · 20 km deep · 60 km away
48. 2.3111 km W of Ferndale, CaliforniaMon, Jan 4, 11:24 AM PST · 16332 days ago · 5 km deep · 45 km away
49. 2.53 km S of Indianola, CaliforniaMon, Jan 4, 3:53 PM PST · 16332 days ago · 15 km deep · 89 km away
50. 1.651 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaTue, Jan 5, 8:48 AM PST · 16331 days ago · 13 km deep · 45 km away
51. 3.15 km WSW of McKinleyville, CaliforniaTue, Jan 5, 7:59 PM PST · 16331 days ago · 0 km deep · 88 km away
52. 1.635 km SSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaWed, Jan 6, 4:37 AM PST · 16330 days ago · 27 km deep · 66 km away
53. 2.538 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaWed, Jan 6, 7:32 AM PST · 16330 days ago · 21 km deep · 59 km away
54. 2.977 km WSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaWed, Jan 6, 7:13 PM PST · 16330 days ago · 8 km deep · 29 km away
55. 3.325 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaThu, Jan 7, 5:16 AM PST · 16329 days ago · 19 km deep · 64 km away
56. 2.417 km WSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaFri, Jan 8, 3:30 AM PST · 16328 days ago · 22 km deep · 57 km away
57. 1.630 km WNW of Ferndale, CaliforniaFri, Jan 8, 7:53 AM PST · 16328 days ago · 28 km deep · 43 km away
58. 3.832 km SW of Scotia, CaliforniaFri, Jan 8, 12:41 PM PST · 16328 days ago · 23 km deep · 73 km away
59. 2.633 km SW of Scotia, CaliforniaFri, Jan 8, 1:26 PM PST · 16328 days ago · 23 km deep · 73 km away
60. 3.433 km SW of Scotia, CaliforniaFri, Jan 8, 2:23 PM PST · 16328 days ago · 23 km deep · 73 km away

The first 60 of 86.

Before

1. 2.130 km SW of Scotia, CaliforniaWed, Dec 2, 5:05 AM PST · 16365 days ago · 22 km deep · 72 km away
2. 2.449 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaWed, Dec 2, 2:53 AM PST · 16365 days ago · 23 km deep · 47 km away
3. 1.515 km WNW of Ferndale, CaliforniaWed, Dec 2, 1:57 AM PST · 16365 days ago · 20 km deep · 57 km away
4. 2.435 km SSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaTue, Dec 1, 1:51 AM PST · 16366 days ago · 10 km deep · 68 km away
5. 3.036 km WSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaSun, Nov 29, 3:41 PM PST · 16368 days ago · 38 km deep · 48 km away
6. 2.8161 km W of Ferndale, CaliforniaSun, Nov 29, 9:33 AM PST · 16368 days ago · 5 km deep · 90 km away
7. 2.636 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaSat, Nov 28, 11:28 AM PST · 16369 days ago · 27 km deep · 61 km away
8. 2.312 km WSW of Weott, CaliforniaWed, Nov 25, 2:59 PM PST · 16372 days ago · 4 km deep · 98 km away
9. 3.25 km NW of Manila, CaliforniaWed, Nov 25, 10:01 AM PST · 16372 days ago · 19 km deep · 81 km away
10. 3.121 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaWed, Nov 25, 6:33 AM PST · 16372 days ago · 23 km deep · 60 km away
11. 1.941 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaWed, Nov 25, 4:34 AM PST · 16372 days ago · 22 km deep · 54 km away
12. 2.350 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaWed, Nov 25, 3:44 AM PST · 16372 days ago · 19 km deep · 47 km away
13. 3.231 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaTue, Nov 24, 10:37 AM PST · 16373 days ago · 28 km deep · 56 km away
14. 3.1101 km W of Indianola, CaliforniaMon, Nov 23, 4:54 AM PST · 16374 days ago · 5 km deep · 35 km away
15. 2.037 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaFri, Nov 20, 6:59 PM PST · 16377 days ago · 15 km deep · 53 km away
16. 3.833 km W of Ferndale, CaliforniaFri, Nov 20, 3:59 PM PST · 16377 days ago · 25 km deep · 39 km away
17. 2.4101 km W of Ferndale, CaliforniaThu, Nov 19, 10:46 PM PST · 16378 days ago · 5 km deep · 34 km away
18. 2.438 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaThu, Nov 19, 10:04 PM PST · 16378 days ago · 24 km deep · 59 km away
19. 1.710 km W of Indianola, CaliforniaThu, Nov 19, 11:58 AM PST · 16378 days ago · 19 km deep · 65 km away
20. 1.623 km NNW of Shelter Cove, CaliforniaThu, Nov 19, 12:29 AM PST · 16379 days ago · 11 km deep · 91 km away

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1069948. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 8:43 PM UTC.