California earthquakes

M3.8 earthquake 28 km SSW of Ferndale, California

A magnitude 3.8 earthquake struck 28 km SSW of Ferndale, California on Sun, Dec 6, 1987, 2:37 AM PST (10:37 UTC), 15 km (10 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M3.8 84 km WSW 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
3.8 (md), minor
Local time
UTC
1987-12-06 10:37:51 UTC
Depth
15.5 km (9.6 mi), shallow
Epicenter
40.343° N, 124.409° 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 1.2 km horizontally, 1.1 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.42
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
230°, poorly surrounded by stations
Stations used
8

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 35 in the 60 days after this one and 24 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 3.329 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 14169 days ago · 18 km deep · 3 km away
  2. 2.68 km WSW of Ferndale, California · 14169 days ago · 18 km deep · 23 km away
  3. 2.234 km SW of Scotia, California · 14169 days ago · 18 km deep · 9 km away
  4. 2.728 km SW of Ferndale, California · 14166 days ago · 3 km deep · 5 km away
  5. 2.518 km SSW of Scotia, California · 14159 days ago · 22 km deep · 19 km away
  6. 2.57 km NE of Miranda, California · 14150 days ago · 8 km deep · 54 km away
  7. 2.411 km SSW of Willow Creek, California · 14143 days ago · 4 km deep · 84 km away
  8. 2.639 km WSW of Ferndale, California · 14140 days ago · 3 km deep · 31 km away
  9. 1.97 km ESE of Scotia, California · 14139 days ago · 7 km deep · 35 km away
  10. 2.931 km SW of Scotia, California · 14137 days ago · 5 km deep · 6 km away
  11. 3.884 km WSW of Ferndale, California · 14131 days ago · 1 km deep · 69 km away
  12. 2.02 km NE of Rio Dell, California · 14131 days ago · 21 km deep · 34 km away
  13. 1.627 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 14129 days ago · 4 km deep · 2 km away
  14. 2.921 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 14127 days ago · 21 km deep · 8 km away
  15. 1.835 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 14126 days ago · 22 km deep · 8 km away
  16. 2.435 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 14126 days ago · 5 km deep · 7 km away
  17. 1.930 km SW of Scotia, California · 14124 days ago · 7 km deep · 5 km away
  18. 1.923 km WSW of Weott, California · 14122 days ago · 11 km deep · 22 km away
  19. 2.117km W of McKinleyville, CA · 14122 days ago · 20 km deep · 68 km away
  20. 2.047 km WSW of Ferndale, California · 14121 days ago · 12 km deep · 35 km away
  21. 1.913 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 14120 days ago · 5 km deep · 15 km away
  22. 2.923 km SW of Scotia, California · 14120 days ago · 30 km deep · 10 km away
  23. 1.63 km ENE of Garberville, California · 14119 days ago · 22 km deep · 61 km away
  24. 2.023 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 14119 days ago · 18 km deep · 7 km away
  25. 1.911 km S of Ferndale, California · 14118 days ago · 5 km deep · 18 km away
  26. 3.211 km SW of Ferndale, California · 14118 days ago · 22 km deep · 18 km away
  27. 3.111 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 14117 days ago · 22 km deep · 17 km away
  28. 2.316 km N of Laytonville, California · 14116 days ago · 5 km deep · 97 km away
  29. 3.027 km SW of Ferndale, California · 14116 days ago · 18 km deep · 4 km away
  30. 2.023 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 14116 days ago · 18 km deep · 6 km away
  31. 1.619 km WSW of Ferndale, California · 14115 days ago · 17 km deep · 17 km away
  32. 2.733 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 14114 days ago · 5 km deep · 5 km away
  33. 3.119 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 14113 days ago · 18 km deep · 9 km away
  34. 1.830 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 14112 days ago · 22 km deep · 4 km away
  35. 2.563 km WSW of Ferndale, California · 14110 days ago · 3 km deep · 48 km away

Before

  1. 2.815 km SE of Indianola, California · 14171 days ago · 22 km deep · 54 km away
  2. 2.658 km WSW of Ferndale, California · 14171 days ago · 4 km deep · 43 km away
  3. 2.24 km NNE of Ruth, California · 14171 days ago · 4 km deep · 95 km away
  4. 1.98 km W of Indianola, California · 14175 days ago · 4 km deep · 39 km away
  5. 3.223 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 14176 days ago · 19 km deep · 6 km away
  6. 2.63 km NNW of Hydesville, California · 14176 days ago · 4 km deep · 36 km away
  7. 2.25 km NNW of Ferndale, California · 14176 days ago · 1 km deep · 32 km away
  8. 2.05 km SSE of Ferndale, California · 14177 days ago · 14 km deep · 25 km away
  9. 2.34 km N of Ferndale, California · 14177 days ago · 10 km deep · 32 km away
  10. 3.233 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 14177 days ago · 11 km deep · 5 km away
  11. 1.92 km NW of Ferndale, California · 14179 days ago · 4 km deep · 30 km away
  12. 2.290 km W of Ferndale, California · 14180 days ago · 5 km deep · 78 km away
  13. 1.922 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 14181 days ago · 19 km deep · 7 km away
  14. 2.479 km WSW of Ferndale, California · 14181 days ago · 5 km deep · 61 km away
  15. 1.826 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 14183 days ago · 16 km deep · 3 km away
  16. 1.710 km SW of Ferndale, California · 14183 days ago · 22 km deep · 19 km away
  17. 3.825 km SSW of Ferndale, California · 14184 days ago · 21 km deep · 4 km away
  18. 2.16 km WSW of Hydesville, California · 14185 days ago · 8 km deep · 29 km away
  19. 3.231 km SW of Ferndale, California · 14188 days ago · 4 km deep · 9 km away
  20. 2.551 km WSW of Ferndale, California · 14192 days ago · 23 km deep · 36 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc109546 (also filed as usp0003b0m). Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 12:19 PM UTC.