A series of earthquakes has been shaking the Sierra Nevada on Thursday afternoon, with the largest registering at 6.0 magnitude and felt as far away as Sacramento and the Bay Area.
The main quake, considered moderate to large, hit at 3:49 p.m. near Markleeville in Alpine County. More than 40 smaller aftershocks have followed, the largest being 4.6 just after 4:30 p.m.
The tremor is the largest quake to hit a system of faults south of Lake Tahoe since 1994.
“It’s within the realm of possibility that a larger earthquake will follow this one, as is the case with any earthquake,” said Austin Elliott with the U.S. Geological Survey.
He says people who felt the shake should take it as a reminder to get prepared for future earthquakes.
Initially, the U.S. Geological Survey reported a quake centered near Stockton — but that ended up not being accurate. It is not unusual for there to be incorrect reports in the immediate aftermath of a quake.
UC Davis professor of geology John Rundle says quakes in this region of the Sierra Nevada are not uncommon: one of the largest earthquakes in California history, in 1872, was on Owens Valley fault. It was a magnitude seven.
“There’s a whole network of faults on the eastern Sierra,” he said.
A live index of all earthquakes is viewable on the USGS’ website, where you can also share if you felt the tremor.
