The state of California in the United States has recorded three earthquakes in less than 12 hours. According to the Daily Mail, the most recent earthquake, measuring 2.8 in magnitude, struck Monterey County on Wednesday afternoon, the 2nd. No injuries were reported.
The phenomenon originated in the San Andreas Fault, which runs 1,287km along California. Experts fear that the fault is overdue for another major earthquake, the so-called ‘Big One’, which is an earthquake measuring 8 or higher and, at the time, could be felt by 39 million people on the West Coast.
The two earthquakes near San Francisco were felt by nearly 2,000 people, according to a report that allows residents to report the tremors to authorities. The first occurred in Dublin around 7:58pm (Eastern Time) on Tuesday, the 1st, and the second was detected near Orinda about six hours later.
Both quakes occurred along the Calaveras Fault, which is part of the San Andreas Fault system and has been the site of moderate to large earthquakes. The last major earthquakes in the region occurred in 1857 and 1906, resulting in deaths and destruction of cities. This year, according to the newspaper, California has recorded 10,159 earthquakes with magnitudes up to 4.6; 104 earthquakes between magnitudes 3 and 4; and 637 earthquakes between magnitudes 2 and 3.
