Explained: The December 5th, 2024 Earthquake

USGS Scientist, Bob deGroot, briefly explains what happened during the magnitude 7.0 earthquake that occurred offshore of Mendocino, CA, on December 5, 2024.

The event occurred in an area called the Triple Junction, where the Pacific, Juan de Fruca, and North American tectonic plates meet.

Emergency systems activated and provided people living along the northern coast of California time to respond in the case of a tsunami, which did not happen. People throughout Oregon and California received alerts to their phones via shakealert.org

Sign up for alerts for future events at shakealert.org and see more information on historic earthquakes at earthquake.usgs.gov.