First published · Last updated
M 2.61 earthquake - 17 km W of Petrolia, CA
USGS reports a magnitude 2.61 earthquake located 17 km west of Petrolia, California (40.2944984436035, -124.486503601074) at a depth of 8.62 km. Report published 2026-09-18T04:39:53.260Z.
Categories: severe-weather-and-natural-disasters
Generated scores
Scores are based on the cited reporting and use a 1–10 scale. Read the methodology.
- Confidence
- 9/10
- Geographic reach
- 2/10
- Global importance
- 2/10
- Impact magnitude
- 2/10
- Positivity
- 2/10
- Urgency
- 3/10
Why it matters
The event indicates localized seismic activity near Petrolia; at this low magnitude it is unlikely to cause damage but is relevant to local residents, seismic monitoring, and researchers tracking regional activity.

