Earthquake.now

M4.5 Earthquake near Cobb, United States — 02 January 2025

A light earthquake of magnitude 4.5 was recorded near Cobb, United States on , with an epicentre 4 km north-northwest of Cobb, at a focal depth of 1.1 km. It ranked as the 3rd strongest of 7946 earthquakes recorded in the United States in the preceding 30 days.

4.5 Light

Time (UTC): 2025-01-02 02:34:04

Time (your timezone): —

Magnitude: 4.5 (light)

Focal depth: 1.1 km (shallow)

Epicentre: 38.8457, -122.7520

Location: 4 km NNW of Cobb, CA

Country: United States

USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Available

Review status: Automatic

Source: USGS event page

How strong was this earthquake?

Light earthquakes are widely felt near the epicentre and can rattle windows, dishes and hanging objects. Damage is uncommon and usually limited to cracked plaster or fallen loose items.

A magnitude 4.5 earthquake radiates roughly 91 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 316, which is below the USGS threshold of more than 600 for its significant-earthquake list. The ranking combines magnitude with available Did You Feel It responses and PAGER alert level; it is not a direct measurement of damage.

What the magnitude scale actually measures →

Where was the epicentre?

The epicentre was located at 38.8457, -122.7520 — 4 km north-northwest of Cobb. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 0.8 earthquake 3 km west-southwest of here on 01 August 2026.

Why the 1 km depth matters

At 1 km this was a shallow earthquake. Shallow events release their energy close to the surface, so for a given magnitude they produce noticeably stronger shaking — and more damage — than deeper ones. Roughly three quarters of all earthquakes worldwide occur at shallow depths.

This catalogue does not ingest eyewitness responses, so it cannot confirm where this earthquake was felt. Based on magnitude alone, an event this size is often felt across the surrounding area. Its shallow focus makes stronger surface shaking more likely than for a deeper event of the same magnitude.

Read more on how focal depth changes what you feel →

What does the tsunami information flag mean?

The USGS event record links to NOAA tsunami information because this was a large event in an oceanic region. That link flag does not mean a tsunami occurred or that a warning is active. Check tsunami.gov and instructions from your local authority for the current status of your coastline.

How earthquakes generate tsunamis, and what the alert levels mean →

Aftershocks and local seismic history

348 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 2.8.

20 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 5.6 event near Redwood Valley on 24 June 2026. This M4.5 event released about 40 times less energy than that event.

How long aftershock sequences last, and how large they get →

Where this event sits in the record

This earthquake is part of the January 2025 worldwide record, and of earthquakes in the United States during January 2025. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.

Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre

Other recent earthquakes in the United States

All recorded earthquakes in the United States →

Other magnitude 4 earthquakes worldwide

All magnitude 4 earthquakes →

Questions about this earthquake

How strong is a magnitude 4.5 earthquake?

Light earthquakes are widely felt near the epicentre and can rattle windows, dishes and hanging objects. Damage is uncommon and usually limited to cracked plaster or fallen loose items. A magnitude 4.5 earthquake radiates roughly 91 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

How deep was the earthquake near Cobb?

At 1 km this was a shallow earthquake. Shallow events release their energy close to the surface, so for a given magnitude they produce noticeably stronger shaking — and more damage — than deeper ones. Roughly three quarters of all earthquakes worldwide occur at shallow depths.

Was the M4.5 earthquake near Cobb felt?

This catalogue does not ingest eyewitness responses, so it cannot confirm where this earthquake was felt. Based on magnitude alone, an event this size is often felt across the surrounding area. Its shallow focus makes stronger surface shaking more likely than for a deeper event of the same magnitude.

What does the USGS tsunami field mean for this event?

The USGS event record links to NOAA tsunami information because this was a large event in an oceanic region. That link flag does not mean a tsunami occurred or that a warning is active. Check tsunami.gov and instructions from your local authority for the current status of your coastline.

Have there been aftershocks?

348 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 2.8.

How often do earthquakes happen near Cobb?

20 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 5.6 event near Redwood Valley on 24 June 2026. This M4.5 event released about 40 times less energy than that event.