California earthquakes

M2.3 earthquake 4 km SE of Palermo, California

A magnitude 2.3 earthquake struck 4 km SE of Palermo, California on Mon, Mar 16, 1981, 6:20 AM PST (14:20 UTC), 8 km (5 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
2.3 (Md, duration), micro
Magnitude from
Northern California Seismic System
Local time
UTC
1981-03-16 14:20:35 UTC
Depth
7.6 km (4.7 mi), shallow
Epicenter
39.410° N, 121.502° 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 0.3 km horizontally, 0.8 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.05
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
94°
Stations used
14

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 21 in the 60 days after this one and 25 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 3.04 km NW of Lincoln, California · 16636 days ago · 9 km deep · 57 km away
  2. 2.37 km SSW of Hamilton City, California · 16636 days ago · 18 km deep · 55 km away
  3. 2.711 km N of Princeton, California · 16628 days ago · 19 km deep · 44 km away
  4. 1.69 km WNW of Plumas Eureka (historical), California · 16627 days ago · 7 km deep · 75 km away
  5. 1.84 km NW of Tobin, California · 16622 days ago · 3 km deep · 63 km away
  6. 2.212 km SE of Paskenta, California · 16619 days ago · 10 km deep · 92 km away
  7. 3.35 km NE of Canyondam, California · 16613 days ago · 15 km deep · 97 km away
  8. 2.14 km SE of Palermo, California · 16613 days ago · 6 km deep · 1 km away
  9. 1.85 km SE of Palermo, California · 16611 days ago · 6 km deep · 1 km away
  10. 1.810 km SE of Mineral, California · 16608 days ago · 6 km deep · 97 km away
  11. 2.19 km SE of Mineral, California · 16607 days ago · 3 km deep · 97 km away
  12. 2.013 km SW of Kingvale, California · 16604 days ago · 16 km deep · 86 km away
  13. 2.45 km SE of Palermo, California · 16600 days ago · 6 km deep · 2 km away
  14. 2.27 km WNW of Sierra City, California · 16595 days ago · 10 km deep · 70 km away
  15. 2.06 km ESE of Butte Meadows, California · 16593 days ago · 5 km deep · 73 km away
  16. 1.75 km WNW of Bangor, California · 16592 days ago · 6 km deep · 3 km away
  17. 1.612 km S of Guinda, California · 16589 days ago · 4 km deep · 97 km away
  18. 2.413 km SSW of Lake Almanor West, California · 16588 days ago · 5 km deep · 83 km away
  19. 3.27 km SW of Artois, California · 16583 days ago · 19 km deep · 68 km away
  20. 1.913 km WSW of Maxwell, California · 16580 days ago · -1 km deep · 74 km away
  21. 1.916 km WSW of Williams, California · 16578 days ago · 2 km deep · 79 km away

Before

  1. 2.74 km NW of Lincoln, California · 16636 days ago · 10 km deep · 57 km away
  2. 1.63 km SSW of Soda Springs, California · 16637 days ago · 15 km deep · 96 km away
  3. 2.49 km SW of Lake Almanor West, California · 16638 days ago · 4 km deep · 87 km away
  4. 1.89 km SE of Alta, California · 16639 days ago · 0 km deep · 72 km away
  5. 2.7Northern California · 16639 days ago · 7 km deep · 1 km away
  6. 1.9Northern California · 16640 days ago · 17 km deep · 44 km away
  7. 2.34 km SSW of Prattville, California · 16640 days ago · -1 km deep · 89 km away
  8. 1.9Northern California · 16647 days ago · 16 km deep · 41 km away
  9. 1.95 km SSW of Kingvale, California · 16649 days ago · 7 km deep · 92 km away
  10. 2.58 km SW of Clio, California · 16649 days ago · 14 km deep · 80 km away
  11. 1.717 km N of Princeton, California · 16651 days ago · 18 km deep · 45 km away
  12. 2.01 km N of Chico, California · 16654 days ago · 16 km deep · 47 km away
  13. 2.82 km NNE of Chico, California · 16654 days ago · 17 km deep · 47 km away
  14. 2.07 km WSW of Lake Almanor West, California · 16655 days ago · 3 km deep · 90 km away
  15. 1.97 km E of Cromberg, California · 16656 days ago · 5 km deep · 92 km away
  16. 2.47 km N of Little Grass Valley, California · 16661 days ago · 21 km deep · 61 km away
  17. 2.04 km SW of Whitehawk, California · 16661 days ago · 0 km deep · 85 km away
  18. 3.07 km SW of Whitehawk, California · 16661 days ago · -1 km deep · 82 km away
  19. 2.02 km SSE of Cromberg, California · 16662 days ago · -1 km deep · 85 km away
  20. 2.04 km SE of Palermo, California · 16664 days ago · 6 km deep · 0 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1061395. Read Fri, Oct 2, 2026, 8:10 AM UTC.