3.4

M3.4 Earthquake 70 km W of Ferndale, CA — October 23, 2026

2026-10-23 05:38:19 UTC (1 hour ago) · approx. 9:38 PM UTC-8 local

MagnitudeM3.4(ml)
Time05:38 UTC≈ 9:38 PM UTC-8
Depth10.4 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates40.618°, -125.094°
Felt byNo felt reports
StatusAutomatic (preliminary)

On October 23, 2026 at 05:38 UTC, a magnitude 3.4 shallow crustal earthquake struck 70 km W of Ferndale, CA, at a depth of 10.4 km and coordinates 40.6178°, -125.0938°.0

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 3.4 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 1.7 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 127 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.

Map showing earthquake epicenter at 40.62°, -125.09°

Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking

Aggregated felt-report intensity from submitted 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 M3.4 earthquake near 70 km W of Ferndale, CA

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

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
3.4 ml
Depth
10.4 km
shallow crustal
Location
40.6178°N
-125.0938°E
Community Intensity
1.0
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
nc75453736
Event Type
earthquake
Status
Automatic
Significance
175
Stations Used
63
Azimuthal Gap
264.0°
Min Station Distance
0.594°
RMS Residual
0.20 sec
Last Updated
2026-10-23 06:42:19 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 3.4 earthquake near Ferndale, CA?

The magnitude 3.4 earthquake that struck 70 km W of Ferndale, CA on October 23, 2026 at 05:38 UTC had a depth of 10.4 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 3.4 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.

Understanding This Data

Magnitude 3.4 earthquakes are typically only recorded by instruments.

Learn more about magnitude →

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: nc75453736). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2026, October 23, 2026). M3.4 Earthquake 70 km W of Ferndale, CA — October 23, 2026. Retrieved October 23, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/nc75453736/