M3.7 Earthquake 64 km WNW of Petrolia, CA — December 15, 2024
2024-12-15 16:55:56 UTC (2024-12-15) · approx. 8:55 AM UTC-8 local
On December 15, 2024 at 16:55 UTC, a magnitude 3.7 shallow crustal earthquake struck 64 km WNW of Petrolia, CA, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 40.4025°, -125.0308°. The earthquake was reported felt by 1 personacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 1.8 (weak).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 3.7 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 5.0 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 209 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
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 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
-125.0308°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 3.7 earthquake near Petrolia, CA?
The magnitude 3.7 earthquake that struck 64 km WNW of Petrolia, CA on December 15, 2024 at 16:55 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. It was felt by 1 person with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 1.8 (weak). 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 3.7 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
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Understanding This Data
Magnitude 3.7 earthquakes are typically only recorded by instruments.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: nc75103591). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, December 15, 2024). M3.7 Earthquake 64 km WNW of Petrolia, CA — December 15, 2024. Retrieved February 18, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/nc75103591/