California earthquakes

M1.6 earthquake 21 km S of Ruth, California

A magnitude 1.6 earthquake struck 21 km S of Ruth, California on Wed, Mar 27, 1985, 6:38 PM PST (02:38 UTC), 6 km (4 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M2.3 22 km S of Ruth, 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
1.6 (md), micro
Local time
UTC
1985-03-28 02:38:38 UTC
Depth
6.0 km (3.7 mi), shallow
Epicenter
40.077° N, 123.280° 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 0.9 km horizontally, 1.8 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.24
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
172°
Stations used
6

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 72 in the 60 days after this one and 17 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 2.322 km S of Ruth, California · 15154 days ago · 8 km deep · 3 km away
  2. 2.48 km ESE of Hydesville, California · 15153 days ago · 20 km deep · 78 km away
  3. 1.815 km N of Shelter Cove, California · 15152 days ago · 23 km deep · 69 km away
  4. 1.72 km ESE of Garberville, California · 15149 days ago · 20 km deep · 41 km away
  5. 1.96 km WNW of Covelo, California · 15149 days ago · 6 km deep · 30 km away
  6. 1.98 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 15148 days ago · 19 km deep · 98 km away
  7. 3.59 km S of Ferndale, California · 15148 days ago · 18 km deep · 97 km away
  8. 2.89 km S of Ferndale, California · 15147 days ago · 18 km deep · 96 km away
  9. 2.09 km S of Ferndale, California · 15147 days ago · 18 km deep · 96 km away
  10. 3.01 km ESE of Anderson, California · 15147 days ago · 68 km deep · 94 km away
  11. 3.323 km SW of Scotia, California · 15147 days ago · 20 km deep · 92 km away
  12. 2.27 km NNE of Elk Creek, California · 15145 days ago · 12 km deep · 81 km away
  13. 2.09 km N of Upper Lake, California · 15144 days ago · 4 km deep · 98 km away
  14. 2.715 km S of Scotia, California · 15144 days ago · 21 km deep · 78 km away
  15. 3.114 km N of Brooktrails, California · 15143 days ago · -1 km deep · 56 km away
  16. 1.827 km SW of Scotia, California · 15143 days ago · 9 km deep · 92 km away
  17. 1.65 km SSW of Redcrest, California · 15142 days ago · 21 km deep · 67 km away
  18. 2.314 km SSW of Scotia, California · 15142 days ago · 29 km deep · 81 km away
  19. 2.516 km NNE of Elk Creek, California · 15140 days ago · 0 km deep · 80 km away
  20. 1.83 km WSW of Myers Flat, California · 15140 days ago · 5 km deep · 57 km away
  21. 1.74 km WSW of Laytonville, California · 15140 days ago · 4 km deep · 50 km away
  22. 2.18 km NE of Hydesville, California · 15140 days ago · 18 km deep · 86 km away
  23. 2.311 km SSE of Laytonville, California · 15138 days ago · 7 km deep · 54 km away
  24. 2.04 km SE of Ferndale, California · 15138 days ago · 23 km deep · 96 km away
  25. 2.73 km SE of Ferndale, California · 15138 days ago · 23 km deep · 97 km away
  26. 1.615 km WSW of Laytonville, California · 15137 days ago · 3 km deep · 57 km away
  27. 1.712 km ENE of Redcrest, California · 15136 days ago · 24 km deep · 63 km away
  28. 2.07 km NE of Covelo, California · 15135 days ago · 5 km deep · 28 km away
  29. 2.810 km E of Red Bluff, California · 15135 days ago · 10 km deep · 100 km away
  30. 1.918 km NE of Upper Lake, California · 15135 days ago · 7 km deep · 97 km away
  31. 2.010 km E of Red Bluff, California · 15134 days ago · 4 km deep · 100 km away
  32. 1.710 km SSE of Laytonville, California · 15133 days ago · 7 km deep · 54 km away
  33. 2.314 km WSW of Weott, California · 15131 days ago · 17 km deep · 73 km away
  34. 2.014 km N of Upper Lake, California · 15131 days ago · 5 km deep · 92 km away
  35. 1.612 km NNE of Laytonville, California · 15131 days ago · 6 km deep · 34 km away
  36. 1.710 km ESE of Covelo, California · 15130 days ago · 1 km deep · 37 km away
  37. 2.513 km NNE of Laytonville, California · 15129 days ago · 10 km deep · 34 km away
  38. 1.78 km SW of Weott, California · 15127 days ago · 4 km deep · 63 km away
  39. 3.028 km SW of Scotia, California · 15127 days ago · 9 km deep · 93 km away
  40. 3.423 km SSW of Scotia, California · 15127 days ago · 10 km deep · 84 km away
  41. 1.813 km SE of Laytonville, California · 15125 days ago · 10 km deep · 52 km away
  42. 1.76 km NE of Brooktrails, California · 15123 days ago · 6 km deep · 66 km away
  43. 1.911 km WSW of Weott, California · 15122 days ago · 4 km deep · 68 km away
  44. 1.910 km S of Ferndale, California · 15121 days ago · 30 km deep · 94 km away
  45. 3.119 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 15120 days ago · 14 km deep · 99 km away
  46. 1.85 km ESE of Willits, California · 15119 days ago · 0 km deep · 76 km away
  47. 2.16 km NW of Alderpoint, California · 15118 days ago · 21 km deep · 36 km away
  48. 1.610 km WSW of Rio Dell, California · 15118 days ago · 18 km deep · 92 km away
  49. 2.115 km NW of Shelter Cove, California · 15117 days ago · 13 km deep · 80 km away
  50. 1.710 km E of Red Bluff, California · 15117 days ago · 3 km deep · 99 km away
  51. 2.916 km W of Shelter Cove, California · 15116 days ago · 2 km deep · 84 km away
  52. 1.75 km WSW of Scotia, California · 15116 days ago · 12 km deep · 87 km away
  53. 2.231 km WSW of Paskenta, California · 15115 days ago · 9 km deep · 48 km away
  54. 1.65 km SSE of Benbow, California · 15111 days ago · 15 km deep · 40 km away
  55. 1.917 km W of Junction City, California · 15108 days ago · 2 km deep · 72 km away
  56. 1.95 km NW of Shelter Cove, California · 15107 days ago · 16 km deep · 71 km away
  57. 2.15 km ENE of Calpella, California · 15107 days ago · 6 km deep · 93 km away
  58. 1.619 km E of Potter Valley, California · 15107 days ago · 5 km deep · 87 km away
  59. 1.94 km ENE of Calpella, California · 15106 days ago · 0 km deep · 93 km away
  60. 1.78 km WSW of Red Bluff, California · 15106 days ago · 17 km deep · 81 km away

The first 60 of 72.

Before

  1. 2.521 km WSW of Scotia, California · 15156 days ago · 22 km deep · 93 km away
  2. 2.831 km SW of Scotia, California · 15156 days ago · 21 km deep · 96 km away
  3. 1.912 km NW of Upper Lake, California · 15158 days ago · 5 km deep · 96 km away
  4. 2.49 km S of Ferndale, California · 15159 days ago · 26 km deep · 96 km away
  5. 3.15 km WSW of Laytonville, California · 15159 days ago · 2 km deep · 50 km away
  6. 1.924 km W of Paskenta, California · 15159 days ago · -1 km deep · 43 km away
  7. 1.819 km NNE of Upper Lake, California · 15159 days ago · 0 km deep · 92 km away
  8. 1.54 km N of Laytonville, California · 15160 days ago · 11 km deep · 43 km away
  9. 1.827 km WSW of Leggett, California · 15162 days ago · 2 km deep · 71 km away
  10. 3.020 km NNE of Upper Lake, California · 15165 days ago · 10 km deep · 92 km away
  11. 2.411 km NW of Ruth, California · 15167 days ago · 29 km deep · 32 km away
  12. 2.010 km SSE of Leggett, California · 15168 days ago · 6 km deep · 47 km away
  13. 1.911 km NNE of Comptche, California · 15171 days ago · 2 km deep · 83 km away
  14. 1.79 km W of Cottonwood, California · 15173 days ago · 5 km deep · 82 km away
  15. 1.617 km WNW of Brooktrails, California · 15174 days ago · 1 km deep · 72 km away
  16. 2.63 km ESE of Scotia, California · 15177 days ago · 18 km deep · 79 km away
  17. 1.79 km NE of Covelo, California · 15183 days ago · 7 km deep · 25 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc45878. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 3:14 PM UTC.