M2.8 earthquake 15 km S of Mad River, California

Magnitude

2.8 (md), micro

Local time

Thu, Dec 3, 1981, 1:34 AM PST

UTC

1981-12-03 09:34:16 UTC

Depth

27.6 km (17.2 mi), shallow

Epicenter

40.319° N, 123.540° W

Region

California

Tsunami flag

No

Status

Reviewed by a seismologist

Location uncertainty

About 0.4 km horizontally, 0.9 km in depth

Magnitude uncertainty

±0.15

Depth from

From location

Station coverage gap

91°

Stations used

25

• Miranda, CaliforniaPopulation 520. Forecast26 kmENE
• Fortuna, CaliforniaPopulation 12,000. Forecast61 kmESE
• Chico, CaliforniaPopulation 121,345. Forecast159 kmWNW
• Los Angeles, CaliforniaPopulation 3,820,914. Forecast840 kmNNW

After

1. 1.829 km WSW of Paskenta, CaliforniaFri, Dec 4, 11:31 AM PST · 16363 days ago · 10 km deep · 87 km away
2. 1.927 km SSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaSat, Dec 5, 9:15 AM PST · 16362 days ago · 19 km deep · 73 km away
3. 2.54 km NNW of Laytonville, CaliforniaSat, Dec 5, 9:57 AM PST · 16362 days ago · 10 km deep · 66 km away
4. 1.82 km NNE of Laytonville, CaliforniaSat, Dec 5, 9:58 AM PST · 16362 days ago · 4 km deep · 68 km away
5. 2.311 km NW of Manila, CaliforniaSat, Dec 5, 12:47 PM PST · 16362 days ago · 8 km deep · 91 km away
6. 2.0near the coast of Northern CaliforniaSat, Dec 5, 11:55 PM PST · 16362 days ago · 9 km deep · 72 km away
7. 1.72 km SW of Loleta, CaliforniaSun, Dec 6, 2:53 AM PST · 16361 days ago · 18 km deep · 69 km away
8. 1.817 km WSW of Trinidad, CaliforniaSun, Dec 6, 6:06 PM PST · 16361 days ago · 11 km deep · 98 km away
9. 3.27 km ENE of Brooktrails, CaliforniaMon, Dec 7, 1:32 PM PST · 16360 days ago · 10 km deep · 97 km away
10. 2.54 km NNW of Laytonville, CaliforniaMon, Dec 7, 9:07 PM PST · 16360 days ago · 10 km deep · 66 km away
11. 1.84 km NNW of Laytonville, CaliforniaMon, Dec 7, 9:10 PM PST · 16360 days ago · 8 km deep · 66 km away
12. 2.314 km WNW of Paskenta, CaliforniaTue, Dec 8, 3:33 PM PST · 16359 days ago · 7 km deep · 83 km away
13. 2.337 km SSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaWed, Dec 9, 3:37 PM PST · 16358 days ago · 19 km deep · 82 km away
14. 2.935 km SSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaFri, Dec 11, 2:11 AM PST · 16356 days ago · 32 km deep · 79 km away
15. 3.012 km W of Ferndale, CaliforniaFri, Dec 11, 5:16 PM PST · 16356 days ago · 21 km deep · 79 km away
16. 1.825 km WSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaSun, Dec 13, 4:46 PM PST · 16354 days ago · 25 km deep · 84 km away
17. 1.55 km SW of Laytonville, CaliforniaSun, Dec 13, 6:57 PM PST · 16354 days ago · -1 km deep · 74 km away
18. 2.05 km WSW of Scotia, CaliforniaTue, Dec 15, 3:41 AM PST · 16352 days ago · 19 km deep · 55 km away
19. 1.726 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaTue, Dec 15, 3:14 PM PST · 16352 days ago · 38 km deep · 83 km away
20. 1.723 km WSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaTue, Dec 15, 3:46 PM PST · 16352 days ago · 25 km deep · 83 km away
21. 2.022 km WSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaTue, Dec 15, 3:50 PM PST · 16352 days ago · 25 km deep · 83 km away
22. 1.710 km NNE of Redcrest, CaliforniaTue, Dec 15, 6:25 PM PST · 16352 days ago · 20 km deep · 37 km away
23. 2.528 km SSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaWed, Dec 16, 2:57 AM PST · 16351 days ago · 18 km deep · 76 km away
24. 1.94 km ENE of Weott, CaliforniaWed, Dec 16, 5:25 AM PST · 16351 days ago · -1 km deep · 29 km away
25. 1.810 km SSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaWed, Dec 16, 9:50 AM PST · 16351 days ago · 27 km deep · 69 km away
26. 1.67 km WNW of McKinleyville, CaliforniaWed, Dec 16, 11:24 AM PST · 16351 days ago · 4 km deep · 91 km away
27. 1.936 km WSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaFri, Dec 18, 8:59 AM PST · 16349 days ago · 23 km deep · 97 km away
28. 2.444 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaFri, Dec 18, 10:27 AM PST · 16349 days ago · 18 km deep · 95 km away
29. 2.815 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaFri, Dec 18, 3:52 PM PST · 16349 days ago · 22 km deep · 75 km away
30. 1.618 km SW of Scotia, CaliforniaFri, Dec 18, 6:47 PM PST · 16349 days ago · 33 km deep · 59 km away
31. 1.69 km NNE of Laytonville, CaliforniaSat, Dec 19, 10:41 PM PST · 16348 days ago · 4 km deep · 61 km away
32. 2.210 km W of Laytonville, CaliforniaSat, Dec 19, 10:42 PM PST · 16348 days ago · 49 km deep · 69 km away
33. 1.541 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaSun, Dec 20, 6:12 AM PST · 16347 days ago · 15 km deep · 86 km away
34. 1.611 km ENE of Scotia, CaliforniaSun, Dec 20, 8:34 AM PST · 16347 days ago · 3 km deep · 42 km away
35. 1.813 km WSW of Willow Creek, CaliforniaSun, Dec 20, 7:56 PM PST · 16347 days ago · 23 km deep · 68 km away
36. 1.54 km S of Scotia, CaliforniaMon, Dec 21, 6:59 AM PST · 16346 days ago · 25 km deep · 50 km away
37. 2.337 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaWed, Dec 23, 1:49 PM PST · 16344 days ago · 22 km deep · 83 km away
38. 1.82 km E of Pine Hills, CaliforniaWed, Dec 23, 8:32 PM PST · 16344 days ago · 4 km deep · 67 km away
39. 1.631 km ESE of Covelo, CaliforniaThu, Dec 24, 1:00 AM PST · 16344 days ago · 7 km deep · 87 km away
40. 3.538 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaSat, Dec 26, 3:42 AM PST · 16341 days ago · 27 km deep · 86 km away
41. 2.536 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaSun, Dec 27, 3:17 AM PST · 16340 days ago · 26 km deep · 86 km away
42. 2.06 km ESE of Ferndale, CaliforniaSun, Dec 27, 2:17 PM PST · 16340 days ago · 12 km deep · 61 km away
43. 1.511 km N of Brooktrails, CaliforniaSun, Dec 27, 5:39 PM PST · 16340 days ago · 6 km deep · 87 km away
44. 2.117 km NNW of Willow Creek, CaliforniaSun, Dec 27, 10:05 PM PST · 16340 days ago · 33 km deep · 86 km away
45. 1.84 km WSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaMon, Dec 28, 12:58 AM PST · 16340 days ago · 7 km deep · 71 km away
46. 1.611 km WSW of Redcrest, CaliforniaMon, Dec 28, 1:39 AM PST · 16339 days ago · 26 km deep · 45 km away
47. 2.511 km NNW of Alderpoint, CaliforniaTue, Dec 29, 6:21 AM PST · 16338 days ago · 24 km deep · 10 km away
48. 3.57 km N of Brooktrails, CaliforniaTue, Dec 29, 6:12 PM PST · 16338 days ago · 7 km deep · 91 km away
49. 3.2near the coast of Northern CaliforniaWed, Dec 30, 5:34 AM PST · 16337 days ago · 8 km deep · 91 km away
50. 1.819 km WSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaWed, Dec 30, 7:58 PM PST · 16337 days ago · 23 km deep · 83 km away
51. 1.614 km ESE of Pine Hills, CaliforniaWed, Dec 30, 10:59 PM PST · 16337 days ago · 23 km deep · 56 km away
52. 1.57 km N of Brooktrails, CaliforniaThu, Dec 31, 6:16 PM PST · 16336 days ago · 8 km deep · 91 km away
53. 2.69 km WSW of Indianola, CaliforniaThu, Dec 31, 8:29 PM PST · 16336 days ago · 11 km deep · 78 km away
54. 1.52 km ENE of Westhaven-Moonstone, CaliforniaFri, Jan 1, 11:58 AM PST · 16335 days ago · 23 km deep · 94 km away
55. 1.710 km NNE of Redcrest, CaliforniaSat, Jan 2, 12:08 PM PST · 16334 days ago · 20 km deep · 37 km away
56. 1.732 km SW of Scotia, CaliforniaSun, Jan 3, 4:51 AM PST · 16333 days ago · 5 km deep · 73 km away
57. 1.932 km SW of Scotia, CaliforniaSun, Jan 3, 9:14 AM PST · 16333 days ago · 20 km deep · 71 km away
58. 2.41 km ENE of Loleta, CaliforniaSun, Jan 3, 10:30 AM PST · 16333 days ago · 21 km deep · 67 km away
59. 1.516 km WSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaMon, Jan 4, 12:07 AM PST · 16333 days ago · 20 km deep · 77 km away
60. 2.014 km SSW of Covelo, CaliforniaMon, Jan 4, 11:20 AM PST · 16332 days ago · 6 km deep · 75 km away

The first 60 of 101.

Before

1. 1.737 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaWed, Dec 2, 4:08 PM PST · 16365 days ago · 31 km deep · 87 km away
2. 2.130 km SW of Scotia, CaliforniaWed, Dec 2, 5:05 AM PST · 16365 days ago · 22 km deep · 71 km away
3. 1.515 km WNW of Ferndale, CaliforniaWed, Dec 2, 1:57 AM PST · 16365 days ago · 20 km deep · 83 km away
4. 2.011 km S of Laytonville, CaliforniaTue, Dec 1, 6:54 PM PST · 16366 days ago · -1 km deep · 82 km away
5. 2.238 km WNW of Paskenta, CaliforniaTue, Dec 1, 6:50 PM PST · 16366 days ago · 2 km deep · 59 km away
6. 1.610 km ESE of Covelo, CaliforniaTue, Dec 1, 5:40 AM PST · 16366 days ago · -1 km deep · 71 km away
7. 2.435 km SSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaTue, Dec 1, 1:51 AM PST · 16366 days ago · 10 km deep · 77 km away
8. 3.036 km WSW of Ferndale, CaliforniaSun, Nov 29, 3:41 PM PST · 16368 days ago · 38 km deep · 92 km away
9. 1.74 km SE of Benbow, CaliforniaSat, Nov 28, 8:00 PM PST · 16369 days ago · 16 km deep · 36 km away
10. 2.636 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaSat, Nov 28, 11:28 AM PST · 16369 days ago · 27 km deep · 83 km away
11. 2.04 km NNW of Laytonville, CaliforniaSat, Nov 28, 4:13 AM PST · 16369 days ago · 11 km deep · 66 km away
12. 2.34 km NNW of Laytonville, CaliforniaFri, Nov 27, 4:21 PM PST · 16370 days ago · 11 km deep · 66 km away
13. 2.312 km WSW of Weott, CaliforniaWed, Nov 25, 2:59 PM PST · 16372 days ago · 4 km deep · 43 km away
14. 3.25 km NW of Manila, CaliforniaWed, Nov 25, 10:01 AM PST · 16372 days ago · 19 km deep · 84 km away
15. 3.121 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaWed, Nov 25, 6:33 AM PST · 16372 days ago · 23 km deep · 78 km away
16. 1.941 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaWed, Nov 25, 4:34 AM PST · 16372 days ago · 22 km deep · 91 km away
17. 3.231 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaTue, Nov 24, 10:37 AM PST · 16373 days ago · 28 km deep · 85 km away
18. 1.511 km SW of Covelo, CaliforniaSat, Nov 21, 9:17 AM PST · 16376 days ago · 7 km deep · 70 km away
19. 1.716 km NE of Miranda, CaliforniaFri, Nov 20, 11:32 PM PST · 16377 days ago · 16 km deep · 15 km away
20. 2.037 km SW of Ferndale, CaliforniaFri, Nov 20, 6:59 PM PST · 16377 days ago · 15 km deep · 90 km away

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1069969. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 8:45 PM UTC.