QuakeIndex

Fault · California

Mattole Canyon fault

15 kmlong (9 mi), as mapped
> 5 mm/yrhow fast it slips
< 15,000 yearssince it last broke the surface
262quakes of M2.5+ within 10 km since 2016

In plain English

The two sides grind past each other faster than 5 mm a year — more than half a metre (20 inches) every century.

Its most recent surface rupture is younger than 15,000 years.

The largest earthquake recorded near it was M 6.5 in 1894 (Southwest of Cape Mendocino, California) — about 180,000 times the energy of an M3.0, the size people start to feel. It released about 85 kilotons of TNT.

This week vs. its last ten years

67/100

typical

1 quake of M1.5+ within 5 km of the trace in the last 7 days — busier than 67% of weeks since 2016. A normal week: 0–1.

Computed from the USGS catalogue · a description of the past, not a forecast · method

San Andreas faultBartlett Springs fault systemMaacama faultLittle Salmon faultMad River faultBald Mountain-Big Lagoon faultNoyo Basin fault M 6.5 · 1894 · Southwest of Cape Mendocino, California M 6.3 · 1871 · Northeast of Petrolia, California M 6.0 · 1951 · 53 km SW of Ferndale, California M 6.0 · 1952 · 31 km NW of Shelter Cove, California
The Mattole Canyon fault as mapped at the surface (glowing), with the other mapped faults nearby, 262 of the M2.5+ earthquakes within 10 km of it since 2016 (dots), and the epicentres of the large historic earthquakes recorded near it (rings). Traces: USGS Quaternary Fault and Fold Database. Historic epicentres are estimates.

Every year since 2016

Earthquakes of M2.5+ with an epicentre within 10 km of the mapped trace. Near is not the same as on: some will have slipped on neighbouring faults.

The big ones recorded near it

  1. M 6.5 Southwest of Cape Mendocino, California
    September 30, 1894 · epicentre 6 km from the trace
  2. M 6.3 Northeast of Petrolia, California
    March 2, 1871 · epicentre 23 km from the trace
  3. M 6.0 53 km SW of Ferndale, California
    October 8, 1951 · epicentre 23 km from the trace
  4. M 6.0 31 km NW of Shelter Cove, California
    September 22, 1952 · epicentre 2 km from the trace
  5. M 5.6 6km SSW of Petrolia, CA
    June 23, 2019 · epicentre 7 km from the trace
  6. M 5.2 15km W of Petrolia, CA
    March 18, 2020 · epicentre 10 km from the trace
  7. M 5.1 12km W of Petrolia, CA
    July 18, 2021 · epicentre 7 km from the trace
  8. M 4.5 16km WSW of Petrolia, CA
    February 3, 2019 · epicentre 4 km from the trace

Before 1973 from the USGS ComCat historical catalogue (within 25 km; epicentres of old earthquakes are estimates). Since 2016, M4+ within 10 km.

Most recent near it

  1. M 2.5 21 km W of Petrolia, CA
    2026-09-21 · 9 km from the trace
  2. M 3.0 21 km WSW of Petrolia, CA
    2026-09-21 · 8 km from the trace
  3. M 2.6 17 km W of Petrolia, CA
    2026-09-18 · 5 km from the trace
  4. M 3.5 20 km WSW of Petrolia, CA
    2026-09-16 · 7 km from the trace
  5. M 3.3 17 km WSW of Petrolia, CA
    2026-09-15 · 5 km from the trace
  6. M 3.6 21 km W of Petrolia, CA
    2026-09-10 · 8 km from the trace

Neighbouring faults

Fault trace, slip rate and age: USGS Quaternary Fault and Fold Database (public domain), simplified for the web. Earthquakes: USGS ComCat. QuakeIndex does not forecast earthquakes; a fault's history describes the past. For early warning use ShakeAlert.