Where was the earthquake in Northern California early Tuesday? Here’s its epicenter

A large 6.4-magnitude earthquake shook Northern California early Tuesday morning, rattling off more than 40 aftershocks.

The earthquake occurred near the coast of Humboldt County, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, but a tsunami is not expected.

Where was the epicenter of the earthquake?

The earthquake hit south of Eureka near Ferndale in Humboldt County, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, around 2:34 a.m. It was about three miles off the coast.

Ferndale is a small town, known for its historic Victorian charm, with a population of almost 1,400 people.

The earthquake happened near the Mendocino triple junction, where the Pacific, North America, and Juan de Fuca plates meet, the agency stated on its website. Earthquakes are common here.

On Dec. 20, 2021, a 6.2 earthquake shook the region southwest of about 12 miles from where the Tuesday morning earthquake was.

The epicenter was approximately 200 miles northwest of Sacramento and 210 miles north of San Francisco.

Where were the aftershocks?

The largest aftershock, so far, was in Rio Dell, 10 miles inland from the center, at a magnitude of about 4.6, just minutes after the initial jolt.

Several aftershocks ranging from a 2.5 to 4.0 magnitude jolted Hydesville, Willow Creek, Pine Hills, Blue Lake and Fortuna.

Most recently, a 3.2 and 3.9 magnitude aftershock was reported southwest of Ferndale at 9 a.m. and 10:07 a.m., respectively.

It previously hit Ferndale at 7:33 a.m. at a magnitude of 3.0 and Hydesville at 7:49 a.m. with a 2.5 magnitude.

“Smaller aftershocks” may occur in coming days, the USGS warned on Twitter.

This story was originally published December 20, 2022 at 8:06 AM with the headline "Where was the earthquake in Northern California early Tuesday? Here’s its epicenter."