California earthquakes

M2.0 earthquake 4 km SE of Palermo, California

A magnitude 2.0 earthquake struck 4 km SE of Palermo, California on Mon, Feb 16, 1981, 6:57 AM PST (14:57 UTC), 6 km (4 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M3.3 5 km NE of Canyondam, California. This one was a foreshock.

Palermo 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
2.0 (md), micro
Local time
UTC
1981-02-16 14:57:39 UTC
Depth
6.4 km (4.0 mi), shallow
Epicenter
39.407° N, 121.501° 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, 1.1 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.36
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
93°
Stations used
15

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 32 in the 60 days after this one and 24 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 2.02 km SSE of Cromberg, California · 16659 days ago · -1 km deep · 85 km away
  2. 3.07 km SW of Whitehawk, California · 16658 days ago · -1 km deep · 82 km away
  3. 2.04 km SW of Whitehawk, California · 16658 days ago · 0 km deep · 85 km away
  4. 2.47 km N of Little Grass Valley, California · 16658 days ago · 21 km deep · 61 km away
  5. 1.97 km E of Cromberg, California · 16654 days ago · 5 km deep · 92 km away
  6. 2.07 km WSW of Lake Almanor West, California · 16652 days ago · 3 km deep · 90 km away
  7. 2.82 km NNE of Chico, California · 16652 days ago · 17 km deep · 48 km away
  8. 2.01 km N of Chico, California · 16652 days ago · 16 km deep · 47 km away
  9. 1.717 km N of Princeton, California · 16648 days ago · 18 km deep · 45 km away
  10. 2.58 km SW of Clio, California · 16646 days ago · 14 km deep · 80 km away
  11. 1.95 km SSW of Kingvale, California · 16646 days ago · 7 km deep · 92 km away
  12. 1.9Northern California · 16644 days ago · 16 km deep · 42 km away
  13. 2.34 km SSW of Prattville, California · 16637 days ago · -1 km deep · 89 km away
  14. 1.9Northern California · 16637 days ago · 17 km deep · 44 km away
  15. 2.7Northern California · 16636 days ago · 7 km deep · 1 km away
  16. 1.89 km SE of Alta, California · 16636 days ago · 0 km deep · 72 km away
  17. 2.49 km SW of Lake Almanor West, California · 16635 days ago · 4 km deep · 87 km away
  18. 1.63 km SSW of Soda Springs, California · 16635 days ago · 15 km deep · 96 km away
  19. 2.74 km NW of Lincoln, California · 16633 days ago · 10 km deep · 57 km away
  20. 2.34 km SE of Palermo, California · 16633 days ago · 8 km deep · 0 km away
  21. 3.04 km NW of Lincoln, California · 16633 days ago · 9 km deep · 57 km away
  22. 2.37 km SSW of Hamilton City, California · 16633 days ago · 18 km deep · 55 km away
  23. 2.711 km N of Princeton, California · 16625 days ago · 19 km deep · 45 km away
  24. 1.69 km WNW of Plumas Eureka (historical), California · 16624 days ago · 7 km deep · 75 km away
  25. 1.84 km NW of Tobin, California · 16619 days ago · 3 km deep · 64 km away
  26. 2.212 km SE of Paskenta, California · 16616 days ago · 10 km deep · 92 km away
  27. 3.35 km NE of Canyondam, California · 16610 days ago · 15 km deep · 97 km away
  28. 2.14 km SE of Palermo, California · 16610 days ago · 6 km deep · 1 km away
  29. 1.85 km SE of Palermo, California · 16608 days ago · 6 km deep · 1 km away
  30. 1.810 km SE of Mineral, California · 16605 days ago · 6 km deep · 98 km away
  31. 2.19 km SE of Mineral, California · 16605 days ago · 3 km deep · 97 km away
  32. 2.013 km SW of Kingvale, California · 16602 days ago · 16 km deep · 86 km away

Before

  1. 2.19 km S of East Quincy, California · 16661 days ago · 2 km deep · 71 km away
  2. 1.95 km WSW of Whitehawk, California · 16661 days ago · 0 km deep · 83 km away
  3. 2.18 km SSW of Kingvale, California · 16662 days ago · 14 km deep · 90 km away
  4. 2.18 km SE of Orland, California · 16663 days ago · 26 km deep · 62 km away
  5. 2.12 km SW of Forest Ranch, California · 16663 days ago · 20 km deep · 54 km away
  6. 2.57 km WSW of Lake Almanor West, California · 16664 days ago · 4 km deep · 91 km away
  7. 2.24 km WSW of Whitehawk, California · 16670 days ago · 4 km deep · 84 km away
  8. 1.63 km S of East Quincy, California · 16671 days ago · 8 km deep · 76 km away
  9. 1.63 km N of Chico, California · 16673 days ago · 17 km deep · 48 km away
  10. 2.310 km SSW of Kingvale, California · 16674 days ago · 12 km deep · 91 km away
  11. 1.82 km N of Chico, California · 16675 days ago · 17 km deep · 48 km away
  12. 1.88 km NNW of Princeton, California · 16675 days ago · 14 km deep · 48 km away
  13. 1.74 km ENE of Orland, California · 16676 days ago · 33 km deep · 68 km away
  14. 2.34 km SSW of Kingvale, California · 16677 days ago · 18 km deep · 91 km away
  15. 1.57 km SSW of Kingvale, California · 16677 days ago · 6 km deep · 91 km away
  16. 1.64 km SW of Whitehawk, California · 16678 days ago · 3 km deep · 85 km away
  17. 3.36 km NNE of Butte Meadows, California · 16679 days ago · -1 km deep · 81 km away
  18. 2.18 km SW of Whitehawk, California · 16680 days ago · 26 km deep · 81 km away
  19. 3.18 km SW of Whitehawk, California · 16680 days ago · 3 km deep · 80 km away
  20. 3.17 km SW of Whitehawk, California · 16680 days ago · 4 km deep · 82 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1060441. Read Tue, Sep 29, 2026, 3:00 PM UTC.