2.4

M2.4 Earthquake 11 km WNW of Pine Valley, CA — December 28, 2024

2024-12-28 17:48:30 UTC (2024-12-28) · approx. 9:48 AM UTC-8 local

Felt by 43 people across nearby locations.

MagnitudeM2.4(ml)
Time17:48 UTC≈ 9:48 AM UTC-8
Depth16.0 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates32.852°, -116.636°
Felt by43DYFI responses
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On December 28, 2024 at 17:48 UTC, a magnitude 2.4 shallow crustal earthquake struck 11 km WNW of Pine Valley, CA, at a depth of 16.0 km and coordinates 32.8523°, -116.6362°. This earthquake was detected by 90 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 104, placing it among routine seismic activity.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 2.4 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 62.1 kg of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 28 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

Map showing earthquake epicenter at 32.85°, -116.64°

Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking

Aggregated felt-report intensity from 43 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.

USGS DYFI community-reported intensity map for the M2.4 earthquake near 11 km WNW of Pine Valley, CA

Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
2.4 ml
Depth
16.0 km
shallow crustal
Location
32.8523°N
-116.6362°E
Felt Reports
43
DYFI responses
Community Intensity
3.5
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
ci40829447
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
104
Stations Used
90
Azimuthal Gap
27.0°
Min Station Distance
0.054°
RMS Residual
0.18 sec
Last Updated
2025-01-03 00:55:31 UTC

Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)

3.2
17 km E of Desert Hot Springs, CA
1 day ago · 8.2 km deep
3.0
9 km W of Palomar Observatory, CA
2 days ago · 14.4 km deep
2.8
10 km SW of Lamont, CA
4 days ago · 13.1 km deep

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 2.4 earthquake near Pine Valley, CA?

The magnitude 2.4 earthquake that struck 11 km WNW of Pine Valley, CA on December 28, 2024 at 17:48 UTC had a depth of 16.0 km. For context, this was a minor earthquake typically detected only by instruments.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at 32.8523°, -116.6362°, which is 11 km WNW of Pine Valley, CA. View all earthquakes in California.

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 2.4 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 2.4 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.

Actions

View on USGSDid You Feel It?

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: ci40829447). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, December 28, 2024). M2.4 Earthquake 11 km WNW of Pine Valley, CA — December 28, 2024. Retrieved January 3, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/ci40829447/