M5.2 Earthquake 251 km W of Crescent City, California — February 29, 2024
2024-02-29 10:28:55 UTC (2024-02-29) · approx. 2:28 AM UTC-8 local
Felt by 4 people across nearby locations.
On February 29, 2024 at 10:28 UTC, a magnitude 5.2 shallow crustal earthquake struck 251 km W of Crescent City, California, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 41.3681°, -127.1671°. This earthquake was detected by 141 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 417, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.2 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 951 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 2.3 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 4 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
-127.1671°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.2 earthquake near Crescent City, California?
The magnitude 5.2 earthquake that struck 251 km W of Crescent City, California on February 29, 2024 at 10:28 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 41.3681°, -127.1671°, which is 251 km W of Crescent City, California. View all earthquakes in California.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.2 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks 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 5.2 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000mft0). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, February 29, 2024). M5.2 Earthquake 251 km W of Crescent City, California — February 29, 2024. Retrieved February 13, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000mft0/