M4.1 Earthquake 18 km S of Rancho Palos Verdes, CA — January 1, 2024
2024-01-01 16:27:32 UTC (2024-01-01) · approx. 8:27 AM UTC-8 local
Felt by 5,636 people across a wide area.
On January 1, 2024 at 16:27 UTC, a magnitude 4.1 shallow crustal earthquake struck 18 km S of Rancho Palos Verdes, CA, at a depth of 11.4 km and coordinates 33.5798°, -118.3703°. The earthquake was reported felt by 5,636 peopleacross a wide area, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 3.4 (light). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 138 seismic stations with good location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 664, making it a moderate-impact event. The nearest populated place is Rancho Palos Verdes (population 41,643).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.1 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 19 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 381 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
The epicenter is located in California, a region characterized by the San Andreas transform fault system, where the Pacific and North American plates slide past each other at roughly 46 mm per year. The nearest mapped fault system is the San Andreas Fault. View all earthquakes in California.
Learn more: San Andreas Fault · Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences
Nearest Populated Places
ShakeMap — predicted shaking intensity
Modeled ground-motion intensity contoured on the Modified Mercalli scale (MMI). Computed by the USGS from the moment-tensor solution and regional ground-motion prediction equations.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 5,636 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Population exposure (USGS PAGER)
Estimated population that experienced each level of shaking. Based on the USGS PAGER rapid impact assessment, which combines ShakeMap output with global population grids.
| Shaking intensity (MMI) | Description | Population exposed |
|---|---|---|
| MMI 3 | weak | 6,687,165 |
| MMI 4 | light | 35 |
Earthquake Details
-118.3703°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.1 earthquake near Rancho Palos Verdes, CA?
The magnitude 4.1 earthquake that struck 18 km S of Rancho Palos Verdes, CA on January 1, 2024 at 16:27 UTC had a depth of 11.4 km. It was felt by 5,636 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 3.4 (light). For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 33.5798°, -118.3703°, which is 18 km S of Rancho Palos Verdes, CA. The nearest populated place is Rancho Palos Verdes (population 41,643). View all earthquakes in California.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.1 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Has California had earthquakes this big before?
The largest recorded earthquake in California was the M7.9 Fort Tejon earthquake of January 9, 1857. Today's magnitude 4.1 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Actions
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: ci40453591). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, January 1, 2024). M4.1 Earthquake 18 km S of Rancho Palos Verdes, CA — January 1, 2024. Retrieved December 16, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/ci40453591/