M2.8 Earthquake 21km SSW of Willits, CA — March 24, 2021
2021-03-24 16:45:34 UTC (2021-03-24) · approx. 8:45 AM UTC-8 local
Felt by 13 people across nearby locations.
On March 24, 2021 at 16:45 UTC, a magnitude 2.8 shallow crustal earthquake struck 21km SSW of Willits, CA, at a depth of 7.3 km and coordinates 39.2498°, -123.4772°. This earthquake was detected by 49 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 122, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 2.8 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 215 kg of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 49 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
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 13 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
Earthquake Details
-123.4772°E
Technical Information
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Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 2.8 earthquake near Willits, CA?
The magnitude 2.8 earthquake that struck 21km SSW of Willits, CA on March 24, 2021 at 16:45 UTC had a depth of 7.3 km. For context, this was a minor earthquake typically detected only by instruments.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 39.2498°, -123.4772°, which is 21km SSW of Willits, CA. View all earthquakes in California.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 2.8 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 2.8 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Actions
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: nc73539421). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, March 24, 2021). M2.8 Earthquake 21km SSW of Willits, CA — March 24, 2021. Retrieved June 2, 2021 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/nc73539421/