California earthquakes

M2.9 earthquake 21 km NW of Mad River, California

A magnitude 2.9 earthquake struck 21 km NW of Mad River, California on Sun, Sep 13, 1981, 10:30 AM PDT (17:30 UTC), 23 km (14 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M4.7 36 km SW of Ferndale, California. This one was a foreshock.

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

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The earthquake

Magnitude
2.9 (Md, duration), micro
Magnitude from
Northern California Seismic System
Local time
UTC
1981-09-13 17:30:32 UTC
Depth
22.8 km (14.2 mi), shallow
Epicenter
40.562° N, 123.717° 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 0.4 km horizontally, 0.6 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.07
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
119°
Stations used
20

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 198 in the 60 days after this one and 55 in the 30 days before it.

After

The first 60 of 198.

Before

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1067590. Read Mon, Oct 5, 2026, 3:08 AM UTC.