QuakeIndex

Earthquake · reviewed by a seismologist

M 1.8md

Earthquake near Shingletown, CA

No earthquake was likely felt in Shingletown in the 24 hours to 3:52 am PST (11:52 UTC). The last one was M 5.6, 170 km (106 mi) SW, at 8:10 am PDT on 24 June 2026, estimated intensity III (weak) in town; 5,311 felt reports to USGS. Every earthquake near Shingletown

This page: a magnitude 1.8 earthquake was recorded 12 km (7 mi) north-northeast of Shingletown, CA, at 6:43 pm PST on 17 January 2021 (02:43 UTC), 5.8 km deep.

USGS: 12km NNE of Shingletown, CA

92 km (57 mi) N of Chico, CA · 46 km (28 mi) E of Redding, CA

6:43 pm PST, Jan 17, 2021 · · 5.8 km deep · released about 16 lb of TNT

10 km30 km60 km120 km N Shasta County 26 kmTehama County 62 kmLassen County 103 kmButte County 105 kmPlumas County 108 kmTrinity County 109 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
6:43 pm PST on 17 January 2021 ()
Where
12 km (7 mi) north-northeast of Shingletown, CA · earthquakes near Shingletown
Magnitude
M 1.8 (md)
Depth
5.8 km below the surface
Felt
no reports yet
Nearest
Shasta County, 26 km NW
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

USGS · last changed by USGS · we first saw it 2113 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 12 km (7 mi) from the epicentre. In Shingletown, 12 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.

Likely felt in: Shingletown 12 km, intensity II. Estimated for each town centre; each link is that town's own record.

How big was it?

This earthquake released about 16 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 5.8 970,000× the energy of this one
  2. Magna, Utah 2020 M 5.7 680,000× the energy of this one
  3. Around the size people start to feel M 3.0 61× the energy of this one
  4. This earthquake M 1.8 about 16 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 · 34 km ESE of this epicentre
  2. 5.1 7km NW of Redding, CA · 50 km W 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 40.5900, -121.8268. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Nearby places

PlaceDistanceDirection from the epicentre
Shasta County, CA 26 km (16 mi) NW earthquakes near Shasta County
Tehama County, CA 62 km (39 mi) SW earthquakes near Tehama County
Lassen County, CA 103 km (64 mi) E earthquakes near Lassen County
Butte County, CA 105 km (65 mi) S earthquakes near Butte County
Plumas County, CA 108 km (67 mi) SE earthquakes near Plumas County
Trinity County, CA 109 km (68 mi) W earthquakes near Trinity County

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

Aftershocks so far

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

  1. 1.8 5km SSE of Mineral, CA
  2. 2.0 18km ESE of Anderson, CA
  3. 1.7 4km SSE of Mineral, CA
  4. 1.6 10km WSW of Round Mountain, CA
  5. 1.5 15km ENE of Mineral, CA
  6. 1.6 14km NNE of Mineral, CA
  7. 1.5 14km N of Shingletown, CA
  8. 1.6 2km E of Palo Cedro, CA
  9. 1.5 6km NNE of Millville, CA
  10. 2.1 12km NNE of Shasta Lake, CA
  11. 1.8 9km NE of Shasta Lake, CA
  12. 1.6 5km N of Millville, CA
  13. 1.9 20km NE of Red Bluff, CA
  14. 2.0 18km WNW of Round Mountain, CA
  15. 1.6 9km E of Millville, 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.