A series of at least three earthquakes reaching up to 3.5 magnitude rattled Northern California near San Francisco, the U.S. Geological Survey reports. The first nearly 6-mile deep quake hit less than a mile from Pacifica, which is about 14 miles southwest of San Francisco, at 6:01 a.m. Tuesday, March 28, according to the USGS.
According to the Sacramento Bee, A pair of 2.6-magnitude quakes followed minutes later in the same area with one hitting at 6:03 a.m. and the other at 6:04 a.m., the agency reported. More than 2,100 people from as far away as Concord and Santa Cruz reported feeling the tremor to the agency.
“My dog and I felt the earthquake in San Francisco,” one Twitter user wrote. “Felt that earthquake in my sleep,” another user wrote. Other users were also awakened by the quake. “Good morning.
I was woken up by a 3. something earthquake,” another user wrote. “Me falling asleep: California earthquake: Sup bro,” a user wrote. Magnitude measures the energy released at the source of the earthquake, the U.S. Geological Survey says.
It replaces the old Richter scale. Quakes between 2.5 and 5.4 magnitude are often felt but rarely cause much damage, according to Michigan Tech. Quakes below 2.5 magnitude are seldom felt by most people.
Earthquakes’ sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches. They can happen anywhere, but they’re most common in Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Puerto Rico and Washington, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
