QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.6md

Earthquake near Redding, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Redding in the 24 hours to 4:54 am PST (12:54 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 1.6 earthquake was recorded 36 km (22 mi) southeast of Redding, CA, at 1:05 pm PST on 28 January 2019 (21:05 UTC), 12 km deep. 1 person has reported feeling it to USGS.

USGS: 16km W of Manton, CA

73 km (45 mi) NNW of Chico, CA · 33 km (21 mi) SE of Redding, CA

1:05 pm PST, Jan 28, 2019 · · 12 km deep · released about 8.7 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Tehama County 33 kmShasta County 41 kmButte County 89 kmGlenn County 93 kmTrinity County 94 kmPlumas County 113 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
1:05 pm PST on 28 January 2019 ()
Where
36 km (22 mi) southeast of Redding, CA · earthquakes near Redding
Magnitude
M 1.6 (md)
Depth
12 km below the surface
Felt
1 report · strongest reported intensity III
Nearest
Tehama County, 33 km SSW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2840 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 Redding, 36 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, Red Bluff.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 8.7 lb of TNT. Magnitude is logarithmic: each whole step up releases about 32 times more energy, so a magnitude 2.6 would have released about 32 times as much.

  1. Mineral, Virginia 2011 M 5.8 1,700,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 1,200,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 110× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.6 about 8.7 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 · 50 km E of this epicentre
  2. 5.1 7km NW of Redding, CA · 40 km NW 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 40.3925, -122.0495. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Tehama County, CA 33 km (21 mi) SSW earthquakes near Tehama County
Shasta County, CA 41 km (25 mi) N earthquakes near Shasta County
Butte County, CA 89 km (56 mi) SSE earthquakes near Butte County
Glenn County, CA 93 km (58 mi) SSW earthquakes near Glenn County
Trinity County, CA 94 km (59 mi) WNW earthquakes near Trinity County
Plumas County, CA 113 km (70 mi) ESE earthquakes near Plumas 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. 1.6 3km SW of Shasta Lake, CA
  2. 1.8 20km NE of Red Bluff, CA
  3. 1.6 17km NNW of Shingletown, CA
  4. 2.0 20km NE of Red Bluff, CA
  5. 1.8 20km NE of Red Bluff, CA
  6. 2.6 10km ENE of Red Bluff, CA
  7. 2.0 18km ENE of Red Bluff, CA
  8. 1.9 9km SSE of Mineral, CA
  9. 1.8 9km NNE of Shasta Lake, CA
  10. 1.8 18km NW of Viola, CA
  11. 1.8 17km NNE of Bella Vista, CA
  12. 1.6 18km NW of Viola, CA
  13. 1.8 18km NW of Viola, CA
  14. 1.6 18km NW of Viola, CA
  15. 2.2 18km NNE of Shingletown, 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.