January 22, 1923 Earthquake: Northern, California, United States
A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Northern, California, United States on January 22, 1923 at 09:04:21 UTC, 15 km below the surface. It caused a tsunami.
Map
Where it struck, with the other significant earthquakes within 200 km. Circles are sized and colored by magnitude; select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Date
- January 22, 1923
- Time
- 09:04:21 UTC
- Place
- Northern, California, United States
- Magnitude
- 7.1 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 15 km (9 mi)
- Intensity
- 8 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 40.482° N, 125.034° W
- Country
- United States
The toll
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million)
Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
Houses were damaged severely at Ferndale, Petrolia, and Upper Mattole; many chimneys were downed; and water lines were broken. At Pepperwood, one house was shaken from its foundation and split apart, and another was twisted from its base. Chimneys also were knocked over at Alton, Dyerville, Fortuna, Loleta, Ocean House and Scotia. Several landslides occurred in the canyon. Felt from Walker (Siskiyou County) south to San Francisco and beyond and east to Grass Valley (Nevada County). It was also observed on several ships at sea. Many aftershocks occurred in the Petrolia-Upper Mattole region. A small tsunami was recorded. (reference #542)
1923-01-22 09:04:21.30 UTC, 40.482 N 125.034 W, magnitude 7.12 Mw (reference #10476, v.10)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- December 20, 2022, Humboldt County, California, United States
- June 6, 1932, Eureka, California, United States
- December 21, 1954, Humboldt County, California, United States
- December 5, 2024, Offshore Cape Mendocino, California, United States
- February 9, 1941, Northern, California, United States
- January 10, 2010, Off Coast Northern, California, United States
- September 1, 1994, Honeydew, North, California, United States
- April 25, 1992, Ferndale, Petrolia, Humboldt County, California, United States
- August 17, 1991, Honeydew, Whitethorn, Petrolia, California, United States
- December 26, 1994, Eureka, Samoa, Arcata, Blue Lake, California, United States
- January 31, 1922, Northern, California, United States
- March 2, 1871, Humboldt County, California, United States
- October 1, 1865, Fort Humboldt, Eureka, California, United States
- March 20, 1855, Northern, California, United States
- November 8, 1980, North Coast, California, United States
More
Significant earthquakes of 1923The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1923Recent earthquakes near hereThis day in weather history
Sources
Significant earthquakes from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI earthquake 6280.