M3.1 earthquake 26 km SSW of Ferndale, California

A magnitude 3.1 earthquake struck 26 km SSW of Ferndale, California on Tue, Dec 16, 1986, 9:48 AM PST (17:48 UTC), 16 km (10 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M3.8 9 km W of Ferndale, California. This one was a foreshock.

Map

Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

Different scales measure different things and differ by a few tenths. The USGS marks one as preferred, and it is the one this page uses.

Mag.	Scale	Computed by	Notes
3.1	ML, local (Richter)	Northern California Seismic System	Preferred · Final · 4 stations
3.2	ML, local (Richter)	USGS National Earthquake Information Center	Reviewed

No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.

Reviewed by a seismologist.

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

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 43 in the 60 days after this one and 87 in the 30 days before it.

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc90352 (also filed as usp00030x9). Read Sat, Oct 3, 2026, 6:30 AM UTC.