Earthquakes low

M 3.7 - 24 km W of Petrolia, CA

Source: USGS · Northern California

A magnitude 3.7 earthquake was recorded by USGS near 24 km W of Petrolia. On the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program scale, M3.7 is classified "Minor". Among the 1,740 earthquake reports Areazine has published, this M3.7 event ranks stronger than 39% of them (rank #1,014 by magnitude).

30 seconds on this earthquake report

Magnitude
M 3.7
USGS class
Minor
Location
24 km W of Petrolia
Archive rank
#1,014 of 1,740
Source
USGS
Published
September 16, 2026
MINOR

Out of 1,740 earthquake reports Areazine has logged, this one outranks 39% of them — 1,013 recorded a higher magnitude.

Record status: a snapshot from USGS, not a final record. Check USGS's own event page for aftershocks and any later revision to the magnitude shown here.

What Happened

A magnitude 3.65 ml earthquake struck 24 km W of Petrolia, CA, on 2026-09-16 at 12:34:51 UTC. The event had a depth of 20.23 km.

Location Details

The epicenter was located at latitude 40.295166015625, longitude -124.566329956055. This places the event 24 km west of Petrolia, CA. The depth of 20.23 km is classified as shallow (less than 20 km threshold for intermediate).

Impact Assessment

The earthquake was felt by 10 people, with a maximum reported intensity (CDI) of 3.4. No tsunami advisory was issued (tsunami: 0) and no alert level was assigned.

What You Should Know

Earthquakes of this magnitude (M 2.5-3.9) are often felt but rarely cause damage. Minor aftershocks remain possible.

Source

USGS Event Page

Original source: USGS Official Notice ↗

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Comparable nationwide notices (length or severity timing) 8

Two Areazine-derived peer sets for this USGS earthquake report: nearest notices by body length and by same severity near the same agency date. Peers come from other categories so they are not the same-feed Related list above.

Similar body length

Nearest notices by article body length (811 characters here).

Fog Advisory Issued for Searchmont and Surrounding Areas 811 chars Yellow Rainfall Warning Issued for Wood Buffalo Nat. Park 811 chars Loard's Rocky Road Ice Cream Recall for Undeclared Allergens 811 chars Stoltzfus Family Farm Cheese Curds Recall 811 chars

Similar severity timing

Same severity (low) notices issued closest in time to September 16, 2026.

M 3.1 - 16 km S of Ucluelet, Canada low Yellow Frost Advisory - Woodstock and Carleton County low Wonton Specialist Inc. Wonton Noodle Recall for Undeclared FD&C Red No. 40 low Wonton Specialist Inc. Dumpling Skin Recall for Undeclared FD&C Red No. 40 low

Common Questions

What people usually ask about a notice like this one.

What was the magnitude of this event? ▾
A magnitude 3.65 ml earthquake occurred 24 km west of Petrolia, California, at a depth of 20.2 km.
How should a magnitude 3.7 ("Minor") event be understood? ▾
The USGS classifies M3.7 as "Minor" on its Earthquake Hazards Program scale. Events in this range are often felt near the epicenter and can cause minor damage to vulnerable structures, though widespread damage is uncommon.
Is this earthquake stronger or weaker than others in the archive? ▾
This is the #1,014 strongest of the 1,740 earthquake reports in Areazine's archive by magnitude, stronger than 39% of them and weaker than 1,013 others.
Was Petrolia likely to feel this earthquake? ▾
This event was centered 24 km W of Petrolia. Shaking intensity falls off sharply with distance from the epicenter and depends on depth and local geology, so check the USGS "Did You Feel It?" report for this event for real felt-shaking data rather than assuming from magnitude and distance alone.

Source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

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AirNow (EPA / NOAA)

Real-time AQI for every monitored U.S. location

National Weather Service

Active watches, warnings, and advisories, NOAA

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference behind every AQI category