QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.7md

Earthquake near Redding, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Redding in the 24 hours to 11:08 pm PST (07:08 UTC). The last one was M 2.3, 5 km (3 mi) SW, at 4:06 pm PDT on 4 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town. Every earthquake near Redding

This page: a magnitude 1.7 earthquake was recorded 38 km (24 mi) east-southeast of Redding, CA, at 7:35 am PDT on 21 September 2018 (14:35 UTC), 12 km deep.

USGS: 11km W of Manton, CA

75 km (47 mi) NNW of Chico, CA · 35 km (22 mi) ESE of Redding, CA

7:35 am PDT, Sep 21, 2018 · · 12 km deep · released about 10 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Shasta County 38 kmTehama County 39 kmButte County 91 kmGlenn County 98 kmTrinity County 98 kmPlumas County 111 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
7:35 am PDT on 21 September 2018 ()
Where
38 km (24 mi) east-southeast of Redding, CA · earthquakes near Redding
Magnitude
M 1.7 (md)
Depth
12 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Shasta County, 38 km N
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2976 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 3 km (2 mi) from the epicentre. In Redding, 38 km away, the estimate is intensity I (not felt). 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: Shingletown, Anderson, Palo Cedro.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 10 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.7 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 1,500,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 1,000,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 92× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.7 about 10 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:

  1. 5.5 15 km NE of Mineral, California · 45 km E of this epicentre
  2. 5.1 7km NW of Redding, CA · 42 km WNW 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 40.4237, -121.9968. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Shasta County, CA 38 km (23 mi) N earthquakes near Shasta County
Tehama County, CA 39 km (24 mi) SSW earthquakes near Tehama County
Butte County, CA 91 km (56 mi) SSE earthquakes near Butte County
Glenn County, CA 98 km (61 mi) SSW earthquakes near Glenn County
Trinity County, CA 98 km (61 mi) WNW earthquakes near Trinity County
Plumas County, CA 111 km (69 mi) ESE earthquakes near Plumas County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.6 8km NE of Shasta Lake, CA
  2. 1.8 6km N of Gerber, CA
  3. 2.6 6km N of Gerber, CA
  4. 2.7 4km N of Gerber, CA
  5. 1.7 6km SE of Viola, CA
  6. 1.6 2km W of Palo Cedro, CA
  7. 1.7 9km NE of Shasta Lake, CA
  8. 2.1 4km SW of Millville, CA
  9. 1.9 2km SW of Millville, CA
  10. 1.5 20km NE of Red Bluff, CA
  11. 1.6 9km NE of Shasta Lake, CA
  12. 2.6 10km SW of Shingletown, CA
  13. 1.7 1km NNE of Palo Cedro, CA
  14. 1.6 3km E of Shasta Lake, CA
  15. 1.6 3km NNW of Redding, 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.