3.1

M3.1 Earthquake 12 km NW of Pinnacles, CADecember 22, 2024

2024-12-22 15:21:33 UTC (2024-12-22) · approx. 7:21 AM UTC-8 local

MagnitudeM3.1(ml)
Time15:21 UTC7:21 AM UTC-8
Depth6.4 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates36.604°, -121.241°
Felt by3DYFI responses
StatusAutomatic (preliminary)

On December 22, 2024 at 15:21 UTC, a magnitude 3.1 shallow crustal earthquake struck 12 km NW of Pinnacles, CA, at a depth of 6.4 km and coordinates 36.6037°, -121.2407°.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 3.1 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 697 kg of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 84 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.

Map showing earthquake epicenter at 36.60°, -121.24°

Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking

Aggregated felt-report intensity from 3 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 M3.1 earthquake near 12 km NW of Pinnacles, CA

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

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
3.1 ml
Depth
6.4 km
shallow crustal
Location
36.6037°N
-121.2407°E
Felt Reports
3
DYFI responses
Community Intensity
2.0
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
nc75106701
Event Type
earthquake
Status
Automatic
Significance
149
Stations Used
67
Azimuthal Gap
27.0°
Min Station Distance
0.055°
RMS Residual
0.28 sec
Last Updated
2025-02-27 17:30:55 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 3.1 earthquake near Pinnacles, CA?

The magnitude 3.1 earthquake that struck 12 km NW of Pinnacles, CA on December 22, 2024 at 15:21 UTC had a depth of 6.4 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 3.1 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.

Understanding This Data

Magnitude 3.1 earthquakes are typically only recorded by instruments.

Learn more about magnitude →

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: nc75106701). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, December 22, 2024). M3.1 Earthquake 12 km NW of Pinnacles, CADecember 22, 2024. Retrieved February 27, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/nc75106701/