California earthquakes

M1.6 earthquake 48 km SW of Ferndale, California

A magnitude 1.6 earthquake struck 48 km SW of Ferndale, California on Tue, Dec 3, 1985, 1:35 PM PST (21:35 UTC), 4 km (3 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M4.2 45 km W of Ferndale, California. This one was a foreshock.

Ferndale 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
1.6 (md), micro
Local time
UTC
1985-12-03 21:35:00 UTC
Depth
4.3 km (2.7 mi), shallow
Epicenter
40.330° N, 124.731° 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 2.6 km horizontally, 3.2 km in depth
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
253°, poorly surrounded by stations
Stations used
9

Nearest places

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

Nearby

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

After

  1. 4.245 km W of Ferndale, California · 14902 days ago · 19 km deep · 34 km away
  2. 2.22 km E of Benbow, California · 14901 days ago · 17 km deep · 87 km away
  3. 2.46 km W of Loleta, California · 14898 days ago · -1 km deep · 51 km away
  4. 2.16 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 14897 days ago · 9 km deep · 42 km away
  5. 2.232 km SW of Ferndale, California · 14895 days ago · 15 km deep · 15 km away
  6. 2.332 km SW of Ferndale, California · 14895 days ago · 15 km deep · 16 km away
  7. 1.721 km NW of Mad River, California · 14893 days ago · 24 km deep · 91 km away
  8. 1.79 km SW of Ferndale, California · 14892 days ago · 9 km deep · 39 km away
  9. 3.023 km SW of Scotia, California · 14891 days ago · 16 km deep · 35 km away
  10. 1.723 km SW of Scotia, California · 14891 days ago · 15 km deep · 35 km away
  11. 3.337 km WSW of Ferndale, California · 14891 days ago · 22 km deep · 11 km away
  12. 2.110 km W of Indianola, California · 14890 days ago · 5 km deep · 51 km away
  13. 1.63 km NE of Fortuna, California · 14890 days ago · 19 km deep · 60 km away
  14. 2.09 km W of Bayview, California · 14890 days ago · 20 km deep · 63 km away
  15. 1.85 km WNW of Ferndale, California · 14889 days ago · 4 km deep · 45 km away
  16. 1.84 km WSW of Ferndale, California · 14889 days ago · 4 km deep · 44 km away
  17. 1.64 km WSW of Ferndale, California · 14889 days ago · 4 km deep · 44 km away
  18. 1.97 km W of Loleta, California · 14889 days ago · 4 km deep · 50 km away
  19. 1.631 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 14889 days ago · 5 km deep · 28 km away
  20. 2.626 km SW of Ferndale, California · 14888 days ago · 16 km deep · 22 km away
  21. 2.422 km SW of Ferndale, California · 14888 days ago · 14 km deep · 27 km away
  22. 2.4108 km W of Ferndale, California · 14886 days ago · 6 km deep · 69 km away
  23. 2.037 km W of Ferndale, California · 14886 days ago · 4 km deep · 26 km away
  24. 3.652 km SW of Ferndale, California · 14885 days ago · 11 km deep · 8 km away
  25. 2.627 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 14884 days ago · 17 km deep · 27 km away
  26. 2.14 km ESE of Indianola, California · 14884 days ago · 17 km deep · 60 km away
  27. 1.739 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 14883 days ago · 4 km deep · 23 km away
  28. 2.17 km W of Rio Dell, California · 14883 days ago · 21 km deep · 49 km away
  29. 2.121 km SE of Blue Lake, California · 14881 days ago · 27 km deep · 91 km away
  30. 2.033 km WSW of Ferndale, California · 14880 days ago · 15 km deep · 15 km away
  31. 1.610 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 14880 days ago · 7 km deep · 39 km away
  32. 1.816 km WNW of Mad River, California · 14880 days ago · 24 km deep · 89 km away
  33. 3.958 km W of Shelter Cove, California · 14878 days ago · 4 km deep · 22 km away
  34. 2.610 km W of Indianola, California · 14874 days ago · 0 km deep · 52 km away
  35. 3.19 km NW of Ferndale, California · 14872 days ago · 8 km deep · 46 km away
  36. 2.614 km WSW of Scotia, California · 14871 days ago · 25 km deep · 42 km away
  37. 2.629 km SW of Scotia, California · 14871 days ago · 8 km deep · 30 km away
  38. 2.228 km SW of Scotia, California · 14871 days ago · 6 km deep · 31 km away
  39. 1.629 km SW of Scotia, California · 14870 days ago · 9 km deep · 32 km away
  40. 1.815 km NE of Miranda, California · 14867 days ago · 19 km deep · 85 km away
  41. 2.831 km SW of Scotia, California · 14866 days ago · 16 km deep · 29 km away
  42. 2.15 km SSE of Ferndale, California · 14865 days ago · 7 km deep · 47 km away
  43. 2.645 km WNW of Samoa, California · 14865 days ago · 4 km deep · 68 km away
  44. 3.212 km WSW of Redcrest, California · 14865 days ago · 1 km deep · 55 km away
  45. 1.79 km WSW of Ferndale, California · 14864 days ago · 17 km deep · 38 km away
  46. 2.07 km W of Rio Dell, California · 14863 days ago · 20 km deep · 49 km away
  47. 2.114 km WSW of Weott, California · 14863 days ago · 8 km deep · 55 km away
  48. 1.910 km NE of Redcrest, California · 14862 days ago · 7 km deep · 76 km away
  49. 2.74 km WNW of Redway, California · 14859 days ago · 21 km deep · 76 km away
  50. 3.035 km WSW of Ferndale, California · 14859 days ago · 23 km deep · 13 km away
  51. 2.217 km WSW of Leggett, California · 14859 days ago · 2 km deep · 91 km away
  52. 1.916 km NE of Miranda, California · 14856 days ago · 4 km deep · 88 km away
  53. 2.733 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 14854 days ago · 11 km deep · 24 km away
  54. 3.591 km W of Ferndale, California · 14854 days ago · 2 km deep · 52 km away
  55. 1.91 km SSW of Redway, California · 14849 days ago · 18 km deep · 80 km away
  56. 2.749 km WNW of Shelter Cove, California · 14845 days ago · 4 km deep · 19 km away
  57. 3.065 km WNW of Ferndale, California · 14845 days ago · 0 km deep · 47 km away
  58. 1.910 km E of Hydesville, California · 14844 days ago · 4 km deep · 69 km away
  59. 2.693 km W of Ferndale, California · 14843 days ago · 13 km deep · 55 km away
  60. 1.98 km NNW of Redcrest, California · 14843 days ago · 25 km deep · 66 km away

Before

  1. 1.73 km SSW of Loleta, California · 14909 days ago · 4 km deep · 52 km away
  2. 3.236 km WSW of Ferndale, California · 14909 days ago · 30 km deep · 14 km away
  3. 2.118 km ENE of Weott, California · 14912 days ago · 19 km deep · 85 km away
  4. 1.817 km NE of Myers Flat, California · 14912 days ago · 22 km deep · 85 km away
  5. 1.810 km NE of Phillipsville, California · 14913 days ago · 26 km deep · 88 km away
  6. 2.49 km NNW of Alderpoint, California · 14913 days ago · 26 km deep · 90 km away
  7. 2.856 km WSW of Ferndale, California · 14913 days ago · 16 km deep · 17 km away
  8. 2.210 km NE of Phillipsville, California · 14914 days ago · 29 km deep · 88 km away
  9. 1.710 km NE of Phillipsville, California · 14914 days ago · 24 km deep · 88 km away
  10. 1.613 km SW of Mad River, California · 14914 days ago · 4 km deep · 92 km away
  11. 3.78 km NNW of Alderpoint, California · 14914 days ago · 28 km deep · 91 km away
  12. 2.725 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 14916 days ago · 39 km deep · 30 km away
  13. 3.055 km W of Shelter Cove, California · 14916 days ago · 4 km deep · 22 km away
  14. 2.378 km WSW of Ferndale, California · 14917 days ago · 4 km deep · 39 km away
  15. 2.533 km SW of Ferndale, California · 14917 days ago · 25 km deep · 14 km away
  16. 3.235 km WSW of Ferndale, California · 14917 days ago · 38 km deep · 15 km away
  17. 2.644 km SW of Ferndale, California · 14919 days ago · 19 km deep · 4 km away
  18. 1.819 km WSW of Scotia, CA · 14919 days ago · 4 km deep · 38 km away
  19. 1.610 km W of Ferndale, California · 14923 days ago · 15 km deep · 40 km away
  20. 2.537 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 14924 days ago · 21 km deep · 19 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc61706. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 8:59 PM UTC.