QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.8md

Earthquake near Rancho Tehama Reserve, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Rancho Tehama Reserve in the 24 hours to 11:14 pm PST (07:14 UTC). The last one was M 4.0, 74 km (46 mi) SW, at 5:01 am PDT on 28 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 14 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Rancho Tehama Reserve

This page: a magnitude 1.8 earthquake was recorded 37 km (23 mi) west-northwest of Rancho Tehama Reserve, CA, at 6:11 pm PDT on 31 July 2018 (01:11 UTC), 5.0 km deep.

USGS: 37km WNW of Rancho Tehama Reserve, CA

94 km (58 mi) WNW of Chico, CA

6:11 pm PDT, Jul 31, 2018 · · 5.0 km deep · released about 17 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Tehama County 50 kmTrinity County 65 kmGlenn County 66 kmMendocino County 92 kmShasta County 98 kmLake County 111 kmColusa County 115 kmButte County 115 kmHumboldt County 115 km
Distance rings around the epicentre, with the nearest towns at their true direction and later quakes as coloured dots. Not a shaking map — see the USGS ShakeMap for that.
When
6:11 pm PDT on 31 July 2018 ()
Where
37 km (23 mi) west-northwest of Rancho Tehama Reserve, CA · earthquakes near Rancho Tehama Reserve
Magnitude
M 1.8 (md)
Depth
5.0 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Tehama County, 50 km E
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 3024 days ago

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 13 km (8 mi) from the epicentre. In Rancho Tehama Reserve, 37 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.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 17 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.8 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 900,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 640,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 57× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.8 about 17 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 one earthquake of M5 or more within 50 km:

  1. 5.5 33 km NW of Rancho Tehama Reserve, California · 14 km NE 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 40.1035, -122.8233. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Tehama County, CA 50 km (31 mi) E earthquakes near Tehama County
Trinity County, CA 65 km (41 mi) NNW earthquakes near Trinity County
Glenn County, CA 66 km (41 mi) SSE earthquakes near Glenn County
Mendocino County, CA 92 km (57 mi) SW earthquakes near Mendocino County
Shasta County, CA 98 km (61 mi) NE earthquakes near Shasta County
Lake County, CA 111 km (69 mi) S earthquakes near Lake County

Places and coordinates from the US Census Bureau Gazetteer (2024). Distances are from the epicentre.

Aftershocks so far

54 earthquakes have been recorded within 50 km since this one.

  1. 1.9 5km NNE of Alder Springs, CA
  2. 1.6 11km NNW of Covelo, CA
  3. 2.4 12km NNW of Covelo, CA
  4. 1.8 14km NE of Covelo, CA
  5. 1.8 41km NE of Covelo, CA
  6. 1.7 41km NE of Covelo, CA
  7. 1.7 16km NW of Alder Springs, CA
  8. 1.8 36km NE of Covelo, CA
  9. 2.6 41km S of Hayfork, CA
  10. 2.7 37km SSE of Hayfork, CA
  11. 1.5 41km NE of Covelo, CA
  12. 1.9 21km W of Rancho Tehama Reserve, CA
  13. 1.7 8km ENE of Covelo, CA
  14. 1.9 19km NNW of Alder Springs, CA
  15. 1.8 20km NNW of Alder Springs, 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

QuakeIndex does not issue warnings. For earthquake early warning see ShakeAlert.