Magnitude 5.9 - OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

2010 February 04 20:20:21 UTC

Earthquake Details

  • This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.
Magnitude5.9
Date-Time
Location40.412°N, 124.961°W
Depth23.6 km (14.7 miles)
RegionOFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Distances70 km (45 miles) WSW of Fortuna, California
80 km (50 miles) WSW of Eureka, California
145 km (90 miles) NW of Fort Bragg, California
360 km (225 miles) NW of SACRAMENTO, California
Location Uncertaintyhorizontal +/- 1.4 km (0.9 miles); depth +/- 7.4 km (4.6 miles)
ParametersNph= 41, Dmin=53 km, Rmss=0.19 sec, Gp=234°,
M-type=regional moment magnitude (Mw), Version=H
Source
Event IDnc71348851
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Earthquake Summary

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Tectonic Summary

The earthquake's epicenter is west of the Mendocino Triple Junction, which is formed by the intersection of the Mendocino fracture zone, the San Andreas fault and the Cascadia subduction zone.

Preliminary analysis of the earthquake indicates that it results from slip on a near vertical strike-slip fault. There are no reports of this earthquake causing a tsunami. Strike-slip earthquakes are less likely to produce large tsunamis because they cause relatively little vertical ground displacement.

This earthquake occurred 30 km southwest of the magnitude 6.5 earthquake of January 10, 2010. Other significant earthquakes in this region include the April 25, 1992 M7.2 Cape Mendocino and the June 15, 2005 M7.2 Gorda plate earthquakes.

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Scientific & Technical Information

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