Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist
M 2.4md
Earthquake near Chico, CA
No earthquake was likely felt in Chico in the 24 hours to 8:03 pm PST (04:03 UTC). The last one was M 4.4, 120 km (75 mi) W, at 6:14 pm PDT on 10 July 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 66 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Chico
This page: a magnitude 2.4 earthquake was recorded 44 km (27 mi) northeast of Chico, CA, at 10:03 am PDT on 30 October 2017 (17:03 UTC), less than 1 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.
USGS: 3 km SSE of Butte Meadows, California
41 km (25 mi) NE of Chico, CA
- When
- 10:03 am PDT on 30 October 2017 ()
- Where
- 44 km (27 mi) northeast of Chico, CA · earthquakes near Chico
- Magnitude
- M 2.4 (md)
- Depth
- 0.6 km below the surface
- Felt
- 1 report · strongest reported intensity III
- Nearest
- Butte County, 44 km S
- Status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 3298 days ago
Earthquake alerts for Chico, CA
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Alerts are on for .
Not a warning. An alert comes after USGS publishes a quake, usually minutes after the shaking. For early warning use ShakeAlert, through your phone's Wireless Emergency Alerts or the MyShake app.
This was a minor earthquake. Quakes this small are rarely felt and do not cause damage.
At this magnitude and depth, people at rest would likely notice it out to about 21 km (13 mi) from the epicentre. In Chico, 44 km away, the estimate is intensity II (weak). Estimated from magnitude, depth and distance with the intensity equation USGS Did You Feel It? uses; felt reports, where there are any, are the measurement.
Earthquakes near other towns within 30 km: Forest Ranch, Magalia.
How big was it?
This earthquake released about 120 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.4 would have released about 32 times as much.
- Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 130,000× the energy of this one
- Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 92,000× the energy of this one
- Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 8.2× the energy of this one
- This earthquake M 2.4 about 120 lb of TNT
Energy from the Gutenberg–Richter relation (log10E = 1.5M + 4.8), rounded to two figures; bar length is magnitude, which is already a logarithm of energy. Magnitudes of past earthquakes from the USGS catalogue.
For this area
No earthquake of M4 or more has been recorded within 50 km since our catalogue begins in 2016.
Before 2016, the USGS record lists 2 earthquakes of M5 or more within 50 km:
- 5.7 2 km NNE of Canyondam, California · 44 km ENE of this epicentre
- 5.5 15 km NE of Mineral, California · 45 km N of this epicentre
Since 2016: the QuakeIndex catalogue (US, M1.5+), built from the USGS FDSN event service. Before 2016: USGS ComCat, M5+ from 1900. Distances are between epicentres. This is the record, not a forecast.
Where
Epicentre 40.0533, -121.5378. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Nearby places
| Place | Distance | Direction from the epicentre | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Butte County, CA | 44 km (27 mi) | S | earthquakes near Butte County |
| Tehama County, CA | 60 km (37 mi) | W | earthquakes near Tehama County |
| Plumas County, CA | 61 km (38 mi) | E | earthquakes near Plumas County |
| Yuba County, CA | 89 km (55 mi) | S | earthquakes near Yuba County |
| Glenn County, CA | 89 km (55 mi) | SW | earthquakes near Glenn County |
| Shasta County, CA | 90 km (56 mi) | NNW | earthquakes near Shasta County |
Places and coordinates from the US Census Bureau Gazetteer (2024). Distances are from the epicentre.
Aftershocks so far
52 earthquakes have been recorded within 50 km since this one.
- 1.5 9km W of Mineral, CA
- 1.8 16km WSW of Almanor, CA
- 1.8 4km NNW of Almanor, CA
- 1.9 10km N of Oroville, CA
- 1.7 5km NW of Almanor, CA
- 1.9 2km ESE of Twain, CA
- 1.9 6km NNE of Hamilton City, CA
- 1.6 1km SSW of Almanor, CA
- 1.6 3km NNE of Belden, CA
- 1.6 3km W of Canyondam, CA
- 2.4 13km ESE of Mineral, CA
- 2.1 2km NE of Canyondam, CA
- 1.6 6km W of Almanor, CA
- 2.0 4km SSE of Canyondam, CA
- 1.9 2km E of Canyondam, CA
Counted from the QuakeIndex database, which ingests the USGS feed every 30 seconds · as of . QuakeIndex does not forecast aftershocks. When USGS issues an operational aftershock forecast it appears on the USGS event page.
On USGS
- The official USGS event page — the source of record for every value above
- Did you feel it? Report it to USGS — reports go to USGS, not to us
- ShakeMap for this event, when USGS has produced one
QuakeIndex does not issue warnings. For earthquake early warning see ShakeAlert.