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M5.0 Earthquake near NORTHERN CALIFORNIA (United States)

UTC time: 2025-12-31 05:49:31 UTC Local time: —
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Archive record · original publication time was not recorded Content updated:

Automatically generated from measurement data by QuakeMap24. Values may change after further analysis.

Map

M5.0 Earthquake near NORTHERN CALIFORNIA (United States) · 2025-12-31 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.0 Earthquake near NORTHERN CALIFORNIA (United States) · 2025-12-31 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.0 earthquake was recorded near NORTHERN CALIFORNIA (United States) on December 31, 2025 at 05:49 UTC. With a focal depth of about 10 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

The event was recorded by EMSC. United States: 245 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M5.4.

Details

ID
386bcc469d34b795242a222b0acc24404d05fd55
Magnitude
M5.0
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2025-12-31 05:49:31 UTC
Local time
—
Country
United States
City
California
Source
emsc
Coordinates
40.55380, -120.67270
Temperature
-1.1°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 10 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 10 km
Shallow
10 km
10 km — shallower than the regional average (15.2 km)
Regional average: 15.2 km
Why depth matters

Shallow quakes release energy near the surface — shaking is felt more strongly and damage potential is higher.

Depth classes per USGS

Felt reports

21felt reports at EMSC / LastQuake

Voluntary reports of feeling this earthquake. The count is not an intensity measurement and is not added to USGS DYFI reports.

Data updated: Jan 1, 2026, 6:49 PM UTC · Last checked: Sep 6, 2026, 12:18 PM UTC

Source: EMSC / LastQuake

Nearby population centers

Distances are straight-line distances from the epicenter. Population data: GeoNames.

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Susanville15.4 kmS15'247
Chico135.0 kmSW121'345
Sacramento230.3 kmS524'943

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Lassen Volcanic Center
    Distance: 71 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 3'187 m ·Last eruption: 1917 ·United States
  • Medicine Lake
    Distance: 139 km ·Shield ·Elevation: 2'412 m ·Last eruption: 1060 ·United States
  • Shasta
    Distance: 159 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 4'317 m ·Last eruption: 1250 ·United States
  • Soda Lakes
    Distance: 191 km ·Maar(s) ·Elevation: 1'251 m ·United States
  • Clear Lake Volcanic Field
    Distance: 251 km ·Volcanic field ·Elevation: 1'439 m ·United States
  • Crater Lake
    Distance: 291 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 2'487 m ·Last eruption: -2850 ·United States

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

Events recorded after this earthquake within 150 km. They are not automatically classified as aftershocks.

First 6 hours11
First 24 hours13
First 72 hours16
Strongest subsequent eventM5.3
M4.92025-12-31 05:49:32 UTC1.6 km14 km NNW of Susanville, CA M5.12025-12-31 05:49:32 UTC6.4 kmLassen County M5.32025-12-31 05:49:32 UTC2.3 kmLassen County M4.92025-12-31 05:49:36 UTC15.1 kmNorthern California M2.42025-12-31 05:59:06 UTC4.6 kmNORTHERN CALIFORNIA M2.52025-12-31 05:59:07 UTC2.3 km13 km N of Susanville, CA M2.12025-12-31 06:07:22 UTC1.4 km14 km N of Susanville, CA M2.12025-12-31 07:14:53 UTC2.7 km13 km N of Susanville, CA M2.22025-12-31 07:32:10 UTC1.5 km14 km N of Susanville, CA M2.12025-12-31 07:51:25 UTC1.4 km14 km N of Susanville, CA M2.12025-12-31 08:25:18 UTC3.5 km12 km N of Susanville, CA M2.02025-12-31 12:57:33 UTC0.7 km15 km N of Susanville, CA

California

Context for this earthquake

11 Sep 2025 – 11 Sep 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 243 Catalogue entries

Sufficiently reliable matching data are not currently available for a direct comparison. The area profile shows the available records and their limitations.

Open seismic profile

Historic earthquake map · United States

Open history map
Explore recent and long-term earthquake activity in this country. Use filters to narrow down by magnitude, depth, and date range.

Country statistics · United States

Country overview
View earthquake KPIs, strongest and latest events, and averages for this country.

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