Magnitude 5.7 earthquake hits 120 miles off of Northern California Coast

Photo credit: USGS

Two moderate earthquakes near Humboldt County were reported early Friday afternoon by the United States Geological Survey, but sources confirmed it was only one, a magnitude 5.7 in the ocean 120 miles off of Ferndale.

The measuring instrument recorded enough movement that Ferndale residents should have felt the seismic activity, though only a few people have reported feeling it, according to Jack Boatwright, a seismologist out of the USGS office in Menlo Park.

It was recorded at 12:50 p.m. with a depth of nine kilometers in an area west of Humboldt Bay, a location familiar with similar events.

“The Mendocino Fracture Zone is a continual source of moderate to large quakes,” Boatwright said. “Fortunately, no one lives out there.”

The area was shaken by a magnitude 6.5 quake in December 2016.