PlainQuake

Country profile · USGS ComCat

Earthquakes in California Earthquake

California Earthquake ranks 173rd of 215 countries by catalogued seismic activity - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity. Below: the full M6+ event history, magnitude and depth profile, and yearly trend, straight from USGS data.

3
M4+ events (since 2005)
36
Major M6+ (since 1900)
M7.9
Strongest
~0
M4+ per year

The verdict

California Earthquake has logged 3 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 and 36 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 7.9.

#173
of 215 countries by M4+ activity
3
catalogued M4+ events (2005–present)
M7.9
strongest earthquake on record
36
major M6+ events since 1900

Average catalogued magnitude is 6.5 - most events are moderate M4–5 tremors that are felt but rarely cause damage.

Major (M6+) earthquakes in California Earthquake by year

Count of significant (magnitude 6.0+) events catalogued each year

Value

What this shows California Earthquake's most active year for major earthquakes was 1992 (4 M6+ events). Major-quake counts are irregular, they track the episodic release of tectonic stress, not a smooth trend.

Source USGS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat) As of 2025

Magnitude distribution of major events

Breakdown of the 36 significant (M6+) earthquakes on record for California Earthquake.

M7.0-7.9

8

22.2%

M6.0-6.9

28

77.8%

Depth of major earthquakes

Hypocentral depth of the 36 M6+ events, shallow quakes shake the surface hardest. Average depth: 9 km.

Shallow (<70 km)

36

100.0% of events

Intermediate (70–300 km)

0

0.0% of events

Deep (>300 km)

0

0.0% of events

Strongest earthquakes in California Earthquake

The 10 most powerful events on record (USGS, since 1900).

Mag Location Depth
7.9 The 1906 San Francisco, California Earthquake 11.7 km
7.5 The 1952 Kern County, California Earthquake 6.0 km
7.3 The 1992 Landers, California Earthquake -0.1 km
7.2 The 1992 Petrolia, California Earthquake 9.9 km
7.2 The 1980 Eureka, California Earthquake 19.0 km
7.1 The 1923 Humboldt County, California Earthquake 15.0 km
7.1 The 1999 Hector Mine, California Earthquake 13.7 km
7.0 2024 Offshore Cape Mendocino, California Earthquake 10.0 km
6.9 The 1989 Loma Prieta, California Earthquake 17.2 km
6.9 The 1940 Imperial Valley, California Earthquake 6.0 km

Significant earthquake record (36 events)

Every catalogued magnitude-6.0-and-above earthquake in California Earthquake since 1900, most recent first.

Mag Location Depth
7.0 2024 Offshore Cape Mendocino, California Earthquake 10.0 km
6.0 The 2014 South Napa, California Earthquake 11.1 km
6.5 The 2010 Eureka, California Earthquake 28.7 km
7.1 The 1999 Hector Mine, California Earthquake 13.7 km
6.3 The 1992 Big Bear, California Earthquake 3.6 km
7.3 The 1992 Landers, California Earthquake -0.1 km
7.2 The 1992 Petrolia, California Earthquake 9.9 km
6.1 The 1992 Joshua Tree, California Earthquake 11.6 km
6.9 The 1989 Loma Prieta, California Earthquake 17.2 km
6.6 The 1987 Superstition Hills, California Earthquake 11.2 km
6.2 The 1987 Elmore Ranch, California Earthquake 10.9 km
6.4 The 1986 Chalfant Valley, California Earthquake 8.8 km
6.0 The 1986 North Palm Springs, California Earthquake 9.5 km
6.2 The 1984 Morgan Hill, California Earthquake 8.2 km
6.7 The 1983 Coalinga, California Earthquake 9.6 km
7.2 The 1980 Eureka, California Earthquake 19.0 km
6.6 The 1968 Borrego Mountain, California Earthquake 10.0 km
6.4 The 1954 Eureka-Arcata, California Earthquake 15.0 km
6.4 The 1954 San Jacinto Fault, California Earthquake 6.0 km
7.5 The 1952 Kern County, California Earthquake 6.0 km
6.0 The 1948 Desert Hot Springs, California Earthquake 6.0 km
6.5 The 1947 Manix, California Earthquake 6.0 km
6.3 The 1946 Walker Pass, California Earthquake 6.0 km
6.6 The 1942 Fish Creek Mountains, California Earthquake 6.0 km
6.9 The 1940 Imperial Valley, California Earthquake 6.0 km
6.4 The 1933 Long Beach, California Earthquake 6.0 km
6.5 The 1932 Eureka, California Earthquake 15.0 km
6.9 The 1927 Lompoc, California Earthquake 10.0 km
6.8 The 1925 Santa Barbara, California Earthquake 10.0 km
7.1 The 1923 Humboldt County, California Earthquake 15.0 km
6.5 1922 Parkfield, California Earthquake 0.0 km
6.7 The 1918 San Jacinto, California Earthquake 10.0 km
6.0 The 1910 Lake Elsinore, California Earthquake 0.0 km
6.3 The 1906 Imperial Valley, California Earthquake 0.0 km
7.9 The 1906 San Francisco, California Earthquake 11.7 km
6.4 1901 Parkfield, California Earthquake 0.0 km

Countries with similar seismic activity

Comparable catalogued earthquake frequency to California Earthquake.

Alaska region

3 M4+ events · strongest M4.8

M4.8

Bahamas

3 M4+ events · strongest M4.5

M4.5

Equatorial Guinea

3 M4+ events · strongest M4.6

M4.6

French Guiana

3 M4+ events · strongest M5.0

M5.0

Japan Earthquake

3 M4+ events · strongest M7.6

M7.6

Palestinian Territory

3 M4+ events · strongest M4.5

M4.5

Understand the data

How earthquakes are measured

Magnitude scales, seismographs, and depth.

Reading earthquake data

Interpreting magnitude, depth and frequency.

Earthquake preparedness

Before, during and after a quake.

Frequently asked questions

How many earthquakes have occurred in California Earthquake? ▼
The USGS catalog records 3 earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 or greater in California Earthquake since 2005, an average of about 0 per year. Separately, 36 significant (M6+) earthquakes are catalogued back to 1900.
What was the strongest earthquake in California Earthquake? ▼
The strongest catalogued earthquake in California Earthquake measured magnitude 7.9. Across the full M4+ catalog the average magnitude is 6.5 - most earthquakes are moderate.
How seismically active is California Earthquake? ▼
By catalogued M4+ activity, California Earthquake ranks 173rd of 215 countries worldwide - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity. Its busiest year for major (M6+) events was 1992, with 4.
How deep are earthquakes in California Earthquake? ▼
Across the 36 major (M6+) events on record, the average depth is 9 km. 100% were shallow (under 70 km), where surface shaking is strongest at a given magnitude.
Where does this data come from? ▼
Every figure is derived from the USGS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat). M4+ counts cover 2005 onward (the period of consistent global completeness); the significant-event series covers M6+ back to 1900. Nothing is modelled or estimated.

About this data

Every figure on this page is computed directly from the USGS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), the public-domain record maintained by the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program. Two series are combined: a worldwide catalog of magnitude-4.0-and-above events from 2005 onward, the period over which the global seismograph network reliably detects and locates earthquakes everywhere, and a historical series of significant magnitude-6.0-and-above events stretching back to 1900. Magnitudes use the moment-magnitude scale (Mw), the modern standard that supersedes the older Richter scale; because the scale is logarithmic, each whole step represents roughly thirty-two times more energy released. Depth is measured in kilometres from the surface, and shallow earthquakes generally produce stronger shaking than deep ones of the same magnitude. Counts reflect what instruments recorded, not every tremor that occurred, and recent events can be revised as seismologists refine the catalog.

Source: USGS ComCat, verify with USGS → · See our methodology for the full pipeline.

Disclaimer: PlainQuake is an informational reference for informational purposes only, not an emergency or early-warning service, and not professional engineering or safety advice. For official alerts and guidance, consult the USGS and your local emergency authorities. See our full disclaimer.