California earthquakes

M2.9 earthquake 8 km SW of Markleeville, California

A magnitude 2.9 earthquake struck 8 km SW of Markleeville, California on Thu, Dec 3, 1987, 2:30 AM PST (10:30 UTC), 1 km (1 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M3.1 6 km ESE of Alpine Village, California. This one was a foreshock.

Gardnerville Ranchos 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
2.9 (md), micro
Local time
UTC
1987-12-03 10:30:17 UTC
Depth
1.5 km (0.9 mi), shallow
Epicenter
38.642° N, 119.846° 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 0.2 km horizontally, 2.0 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.17
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
89°
Stations used
52

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 15 in the 60 days after this one and 7 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 1.96 km N of Truckee, California · 14165 days ago · 5 km deep · 88 km away
  2. 2.27 km NNE of Markleeville, California · 14160 days ago · 8 km deep · 15 km away
  3. 3.16 km ESE of Alpine Village, California · 14159 days ago · 6 km deep · 16 km away
  4. 3.410 km WSW of Topaz, California · 14144 days ago · 7 km deep · 20 km away
  5. 1.89 km WSW of Topaz, California · 14144 days ago · 6 km deep · 21 km away
  6. 3.010 km WSW of Topaz, California · 14143 days ago · 7 km deep · 20 km away
  7. 2.410 km W of Bridgeport, California · 14142 days ago · 0 km deep · 60 km away
  8. 1.62 km N of Mesa Vista, California · 14138 days ago · -1 km deep · 21 km away
  9. 2.26 km W of Topaz Lake, Nevada · 14137 days ago · 2 km deep · 21 km away
  10. 1.66 km WNW of Topaz Lake, Nevada · 14134 days ago · -2 km deep · 21 km away
  11. 2.610 km WSW of Topaz, California · 14130 days ago · 7 km deep · 21 km away
  12. 2.110 km WSW of Verdi, California · 14126 days ago · 1 km deep · 96 km away
  13. 1.66 km NE of Markleeville, California · 14121 days ago · 5 km deep · 15 km away
  14. 1.72 km WNW of Walker, California · 14116 days ago · 6 km deep · 33 km away
  15. 2.15 km SSE of Soda Springs, California · 14115 days ago · 5 km deep · 83 km away

Before

  1. 2.119 km NNE of Buckhorn, California · 14174 days ago · 23 km deep · 49 km away
  2. 1.821 km WSW of Bridgeport, California · 14175 days ago · 4 km deep · 65 km away
  3. 2.28 km W of Bridgeport, California · 14175 days ago · 4 km deep · 63 km away
  4. 2.06 km N of Truckee, California · 14183 days ago · 5 km deep · 88 km away
  5. 2.11 km SSE of Mesa Vista, California · 14186 days ago · 2 km deep · 18 km away
  6. 1.51 km S of Volcano, California · 14188 days ago · 4 km deep · 72 km away
  7. 2.410 km ESE of Bridgeport, California · 14194 days ago · 6 km deep · 79 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc109458. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 3:59 PM UTC.