California earthquakes

M2.8 earthquake 6 km NNW of Thermalito, California

A magnitude 2.8 earthquake struck 6 km NNW of Thermalito, California on Sat, Jul 18, 1981, 4:03 PM PDT (23:03 UTC), 2 km (1 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M3.1 3 km WSW of Spring Garden, California. This one was a foreshock.

Thermalito 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
2.8 (Md, duration), micro
Magnitude from
Northern California Seismic System
Local time
UTC
1981-07-18 23:03:12 UTC
Depth
1.6 km (1.0 mi), shallow
Epicenter
39.569° N, 121.605° 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, 1.5 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.06
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
125°
Stations used
21

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 31 in the 60 days after this one and 22 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 2.913 km E of Bend, California · 16510 days ago · 24 km deep · 84 km away
  2. 1.52 km ESE of Nord, California · 16510 days ago · 14 km deep · 36 km away
  3. 1.82 km NE of Canyondam, California · 16510 days ago · 2 km deep · 84 km away
  4. 2.0Northern California · 16510 days ago · 13 km deep · 100 km away
  5. 1.66 km NW of Plumas Eureka (historical), California · 16509 days ago · 1 km deep · 77 km away
  6. 1.93 km SW of East Shore, California · 16509 days ago · 1 km deep · 84 km away
  7. 2.75 km ESE of Chico, California · 16507 days ago · 19 km deep · 22 km away
  8. 2.56 km SSE of Dunnigan, California · 16506 days ago · 10 km deep · 87 km away
  9. 2.010 km W of Lake Almanor West, California · 16505 days ago · 3 km deep · 78 km away
  10. 1.94 km SE of Palermo, California · 16504 days ago · 6 km deep · 20 km away
  11. 2.14 km SSW of Whitehawk, California · 16504 days ago · 14 km deep · 89 km away
  12. 1.86 km WSW of Durham, California · 16498 days ago · 29 km deep · 23 km away
  13. 2.91 km ENE of Clipper Mills, California · 16498 days ago · 8 km deep · 40 km away
  14. 2.01 km ENE of Chester, California · 16496 days ago · 7 km deep · 89 km away
  15. 2.02 km ESE of Chester, California · 16496 days ago · 5 km deep · 88 km away
  16. 1.6Northern California · 16495 days ago · 3 km deep · 82 km away
  17. 1.97 km ESE of Los Molinos, California · 16492 days ago · 3 km deep · 59 km away
  18. 1.615 km NNE of Butte Meadows, California · 16490 days ago · 3 km deep · 72 km away
  19. 2.30 km NW of Chester, California · 16487 days ago · 2 km deep · 88 km away
  20. 1.710 km SE of Mineral, California · 16483 days ago · 2 km deep · 81 km away
  21. 1.76 km SSE of Palermo, California · 16482 days ago · 1 km deep · 22 km away
  22. 1.51 km E of Oroville, California · 16480 days ago · 10 km deep · 9 km away
  23. 1.9Northern California · 16477 days ago · 3 km deep · 94 km away
  24. 3.13 km WSW of Spring Garden, California · 16470 days ago · 0 km deep · 76 km away
  25. 1.76 km SSW of Hamilton City, California · 16462 days ago · 19 km deep · 40 km away
  26. 2.14 km SE of Palermo, California · 16461 days ago · 6 km deep · 21 km away
  27. 2.52 km ESE of Prattville, California · 16459 days ago · 2 km deep · 81 km away
  28. 3.02 km ENE of Prattville, California · 16459 days ago · 12 km deep · 83 km away
  29. 2.81 km ENE of Lake Almanor West, California · 16458 days ago · 2 km deep · 83 km away
  30. 2.511 km NE of Cromberg, California · 16453 days ago · 5 km deep · 95 km away
  31. 2.66 km NW of Paskenta, California · 16453 days ago · -1 km deep · 94 km away

Before

  1. 2.3Northern California · 16512 days ago · 2 km deep · 0 km away
  2. 2.611 km NE of Nord, California · 16514 days ago · 21 km deep · 38 km away
  3. 2.54 km SE of Palermo, California · 16515 days ago · 7 km deep · 20 km away
  4. 1.50 km NW of Lake Almanor Country Club, California · 16515 days ago · 2 km deep · 85 km away
  5. 2.54 km SE of Palermo, California · 16516 days ago · 7 km deep · 21 km away
  6. 2.03 km ESE of Palermo, California · 16517 days ago · 4 km deep · 19 km away
  7. 1.612 km WSW of Chester, California · 16521 days ago · 3 km deep · 82 km away
  8. 2.24 km W of Stonyford, California · 16527 days ago · 3 km deep · 88 km away
  9. 1.96 km W of Stonyford, California · 16527 days ago · 0 km deep · 89 km away
  10. 2.13 km NW of Lake Almanor Country Club, California · 16529 days ago · 3 km deep · 86 km away
  11. 1.94 km SE of Palermo, California · 16529 days ago · 7 km deep · 20 km away
  12. 3.15 km WSW of Paskenta, California · 16529 days ago · 4 km deep · 92 km away
  13. 1.84 km SE of Palermo, California · 16530 days ago · 5 km deep · 20 km away
  14. 3.45 km SE of Palermo, California · 16530 days ago · 7 km deep · 21 km away
  15. 2.11 km SW of Stonyford, California · 16533 days ago · 7 km deep · 85 km away
  16. 1.87 km E of Manton, California · 16534 days ago · 3 km deep · 97 km away
  17. 2.212 km WSW of Chester, California · 16536 days ago · 3 km deep · 78 km away
  18. 3.12 km NNW of Belden, California · 16538 days ago · 5 km deep · 59 km away
  19. 2.84 km ESE of Palermo, California · 16538 days ago · 5 km deep · 19 km away
  20. 2.421 km WSW of Williams, California · 16538 days ago · -1 km deep · 86 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1065717. Read Fri, Oct 2, 2026, 7:18 PM UTC.