M4.9 Earthquake 257 km W of Ferndale, California — December 10, 2022
2022-12-10 03:17:30 UTC (2022-12-10) · approx. 7:17 PM UTC-8 local
Felt by 10 people across nearby locations.
On December 10, 2022 at 03:17 UTC, a magnitude 4.9 shallow crustal earthquake struck 257 km W of Ferndale, California, at a depth of 11.1 km and coordinates 40.6221°, -127.3059°. This earthquake was detected by 67 seismic stations with good location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 372, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.9 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 338 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.4 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
The epicenter is located in California, a region characterized by the San Andreas transform fault system, where the Pacific and North American plates slide past each other at roughly 46 mm per year. The nearest mapped fault system is the San Andreas Fault. View all earthquakes in California.
Learn more: San Andreas Fault · Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 10 citizen responses 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
-127.3059°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.9 earthquake near Ferndale, California?
The magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck 257 km W of Ferndale, California on December 10, 2022 at 03:17 UTC had a depth of 11.1 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 40.6221°, -127.3059°, which is 257 km W of Ferndale, California. View all earthquakes in California.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.9 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Has California had earthquakes this big before?
The largest recorded earthquake in California was the M7.9 Fort Tejon earthquake of January 9, 1857. Today's magnitude 4.9 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000j8c6). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2022, December 10, 2022). M4.9 Earthquake 257 km W of Ferndale, California — December 10, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000j8c6/