California
More than 60 aftershocks rattle Southern California following 5.2-magnitude earthquake
Earthquake near Los Angeles: Were you alerted?
A 5.2 magnitude earthquake shook Southern California. Many people received alerts on their cell phones before the shaking, but not everyone. Why didn’t they?
LOS ANGELES – The United States Geological Survey (USGS) detected more than 60 aftershocks within 20 miles of the epicenter, less than 24 hours after a 5.2-magnitude earthquake centered near Bakersfield shook the region Tuesday night.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the most recent aftershock was a preliminary 3.2-magnitude quake that hit around 3:16 p.m. Wednesday about 18 miles northeast of Bakersfield.
SUGGESTED: Prelim. 5.2-magnitude earthquake, followed by at least 22 aftershocks shake Southern California
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Customers run for cover as earthquake rattles SoCal
Video captured the moment customers inside a convenient store ran for cover as a large earthquake rattled Southern California.
The Grapevine recorded several aftershocks ranging from 2.7-magnitude to 3.3-magnitude between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. Wednesday, according to the USGS.
This comes after the preliminary 5.2-magnitude earthquake, followed by at least 22 aftershocks. According to the USGS, the 5.2 magnitude temblor stuck at 9:09 p.m. and was centered near Mettler, an unincorporated area in Kern County about 85 miles north of downtown Los Angeles.
Just seconds after the first quake, two aftershocks were reported in Lamont and four additional aftershocks struck in the Grapevine area. The aftershocks were reported between 9:10 p.m. and 9:46 p.m. with preliminary magnitudes ranging from 2.5 to 4.5.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Bakersfield earthquake rattles Southern California
A preliminary 5.2-magnitude earthquake struck Southern California on Tuesday night. It was felt across Southern California.
There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
Aftershocks are described by the USGS as smaller earthquakes that happen in the same general area during the days following a larger “mainshock” – in this case, Tuesday night’s 5.2-magnitude quake.
“They occur within 1-2 fault lengths away and during the period of time before the background seismicity level has resumed. As a general rule, aftershocks represent minor readjustments along the portion of a fault that slipped at the time of the mainshock. The frequency of these aftershocks decreases with time,” the USGS said on its website.
While most aftershocks are smaller than the mainshock, they can still be damaging or deadly.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.