M3.0 Earthquake 55 km W of Petrolia, CA — October 20, 2023
2023-10-20 20:50:14 UTC (2023-10-20) · approx. 12:50 PM UTC-8 local
On October 20, 2023 at 20:50 UTC, a magnitude 3.0 shallow crustal earthquake struck 55 km W of Petrolia, CA, at a depth of 12.4 km and coordinates 40.3695°, -124.9358°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 3.0 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 430 kg of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 67 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 1 citizen response 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
-124.9358°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 3.0 earthquake near Petrolia, CA?
The magnitude 3.0 earthquake that struck 55 km W of Petrolia, CA on October 20, 2023 at 20:50 UTC had a depth of 12.4 km. For context, this was a minor earthquake typically detected only by instruments.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 3.0 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
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Understanding This Data
Magnitude 3.0 earthquakes are typically only recorded by instruments.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: nc73949465). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, October 20, 2023). M3.0 Earthquake 55 km W of Petrolia, CA — October 20, 2023. Retrieved December 26, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/nc73949465/