All earthquakesCalifornia

California earthquakes in 1931

9 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more were located in California in 1931. The largest: M5.9 9 km S of Leggett, California, Sep 9, 1931.

From the USGS catalog. Times are local to each quake.

19301932

Map

Where every quake of 1931 was located in California. Select one for its page.

Open the live map with earthquakes

Every quake of 1931

Magnitude 2.5 and up, newest first.

Month by month

Counted by UTC date, which is how the catalog files them.

MonthQuakesLargestWhere
January 193115.0198 km WSW of Pescadero, California
February 193114.79 km SW of Parkfield, California
March 193115.6near the coast of Northern California
April 19310
May 19310
June 19310
July 193114.83 km SSW of San Luis Obispo, California
August 193115.7130 km WSW of Ferndale, California
September 193135.99 km S of Leggett, California
October 19310
November 19310
December 193115.18 km E of Carmel Valley Village, California

What this means

The catalog is only as complete as the instruments of the time. Worldwide coverage of magnitude 5 and up dates from the 1960s, and of 4.5 from the 1990s; earlier years hold the large quakes and the ones near a station, so a low count in an early year means fewer instruments, not a quiet earth.

By year

Every year the USGS catalog covers.

Nearby

California nowWorldwide in 1931

Sources

Earthquakes, magnitudes, depths, shaking estimates and felt reports from the U.S. Geological Survey Earthquake Hazards Program, read from its live feeds and its catalog back to 1900. Tsunami messages from NOAA’s tsunami warning centers.