California earthquakes

M2.9 earthquake 10 km NNW of Sierra City, California

A magnitude 2.9 earthquake struck 10 km NNW of Sierra City, California on Thu, Oct 21, 1982, 9:28 PM PDT (04:28 UTC), 29 km (18 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M3.0 5 km SSW of Graeagle, California. This one was a foreshock.

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Map

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: Thu, Oct 21, 1982, 9:28 PM PDT
UTC: 1982-10-22 04:28:17 UTC
Depth: 28.9 km (17.9 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 39.647° N, 120.693° W
Region: California
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 3.5 km horizontally, 1.1 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty: ±0.09
Depth from: From location
Station coverage gap: 247°, poorly surrounded by stations
Stations used: 16

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 24 in the 60 days after this one and 28 in the 30 days before it.

After

Before

Earthquakes today California earthquakes Live radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1080607. Read Thu, Oct 1, 2026, 11:48 AM UTC.