3.9

M3.9 Earthquake 62 km W of Petrolia, CAMay 21, 2026

2026-05-21 19:00:10 UTC (2026-05-21) · approx. 11:00 AM UTC-8 local

MagnitudeM3.9(mw)
Time19:00 UTC11:00 AM UTC-8
Depth10.0 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates40.377°, -125.011°
Felt by3DYFI responses
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On May 21, 2026 at 19:00 UTC, a magnitude 3.9 shallow crustal earthquake struck 62 km W of Petrolia, CA, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 40.3773°, -125.0107°.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 3.9 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 10 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 291 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.

Map showing earthquake epicenter at 40.38°, -125.01°

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 M3.9 earthquake near 62 km W of Petrolia, CA

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

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
3.9 mw
Depth
10.0 km
shallow crustal
Location
40.3773°N
-125.0107°E
Felt Reports
3
DYFI responses
Community Intensity
3.1
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
nc75366637
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
234
Stations Used
166
Azimuthal Gap
233.0°
Min Station Distance
0.518°
RMS Residual
0.29 sec
Last Updated
2026-06-03 15:20:49 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 3.9 earthquake near Petrolia, CA?

The magnitude 3.9 earthquake that struck 62 km W of Petrolia, CA on May 21, 2026 at 19:00 UTC had a depth of 10.0 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 3.9 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.

Understanding This Data

Magnitude 3.9 earthquakes are typically only recorded by instruments.

Learn more about magnitude →

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: nc75366637). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2026, May 21, 2026). M3.9 Earthquake 62 km W of Petrolia, CAMay 21, 2026. Retrieved June 3, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/nc75366637/