QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 2.3md

Earthquake near Orland, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Orland in the 24 hours to 1:28 am PST (09:28 UTC). The last one was M 4.0, 70 km (44 mi) WSW, at 5:01 am PDT on 28 October 2026, estimated intensity II (weak) in town; 14 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Orland

This page: a magnitude 2.3 earthquake was recorded 9 km (6 mi) northeast of Orland, CA, at 1:25 pm PST on 26 January 2019 (21:25 UTC), 27 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 9km NE of Orland, CA

26 km (16 mi) W of Chico, CA

1:25 pm PST, Jan 26, 2019 · · 27 km deep · released about 72 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Glenn County 33 kmTehama County 38 kmButte County 46 kmColusa County 70 kmYuba County 88 kmSutter County 92 kmLake County 94 kmShasta County 107 kmPlumas County 112 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
1:25 pm PST on 26 January 2019 ()
Where
9 km (6 mi) northeast of Orland, CA · earthquakes near Orland
Magnitude
M 2.3 (md)
Depth
27 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity IV
Nearest
Glenn County, 33 km SW
Nearest mapped fault
Great Valley thrust fault system, 21 km from its surface trace — near is not the same as on
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 1557 days ago

This was a minor earthquake. Quakes this small are rarely felt and do not cause damage.

At this magnitude and depth it was probably too small to be felt, even directly above it. In Orland, 9 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: Hamilton City, Corning, Chico, Los Molinos, Gerber.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 72 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 3.3 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 210,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 150,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 13× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 2.3 about 72 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 since 1900 lists no earthquake of M5 or more within 50 km.

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 39.7965, -122.1127. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Glenn County, CA 33 km (20 mi) SW earthquakes near Glenn County
Tehama County, CA 38 km (24 mi) NNW earthquakes near Tehama County
Butte County, CA 46 km (29 mi) ESE earthquakes near Butte County
Colusa County, CA 70 km (43 mi) S earthquakes near Colusa County
Yuba County, CA 88 km (55 mi) SE earthquakes near Yuba County
Sutter County, CA 92 km (57 mi) SSE earthquakes near Sutter County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.9 4km NE of Hamilton City, CA
  2. 2.1 15km ESE of Willows, CA
  3. 1.8 4km NE of Hamilton City, CA
  4. 2.1 4km NE of Hamilton City, CA
  5. 2.2 13km WSW of Durham, CA
  6. 1.7 3km NNE of Hamilton City, CA
  7. 1.7 4km NNE of Hamilton City, CA
  8. 2.6 13km WSW of Durham, CA
  9. 2.8 4km N of Hamilton City, CA
  10. 1.6 17km WSW of Durham, CA
  11. 1.9 5km W of Hamilton City, CA
  12. 1.8 1km NNE of Chico, CA
  13. 1.8 6km NNE of Gerber, CA
  14. 1.8 5km SW of Hamilton City, CA
  15. 2.4 6km SW of Hamilton City, 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.