San Francisco Bay Area earthquake measures 5.1: A 5.1-magnitude earthquake shook the San Francisco Bay Area on Tuesday, delaying several commuter trains. No damage or injuries were immediately reported.
The earthquake that occurred at 11:42 a.m. center 12 miles (19 kilometers) east of San Jose at a depth of roughly 4 miles, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (6 kilometers). A hilly region lies about 40 miles (64 kilometers) southeast of San Francisco’s central business district.
According to Lucy Jones, a seasoned seismologist in California, the earthquake occurred on the Calaveras fault. One of eight significant faults in the Bay Area, according to KNTV-TV.
More minor earthquakes often occur along the Calaveras fault, according to Jones.
According to Jones’ social media post, the Bay Area’s worst earthquake since 2014’s Napa wine region 6.0-magnitude shock.
Jones says the Calaveras fault, the San Andreas fault’s major branch, runs from San Juan Bautista to San Ramon.
Annemarie Baltay, a seismologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, several mild earthquakes, including the 6.2 Morgan Hill earthquake in 1984, have occurred along the Calaveras fault.
The “long and steady” earthquake that occurred on Tuesday felt in the kitchen of Rich Constantine’s house in Morgan Hill, a community close to San Jose.
Everything was trembling as a frame in the home fell. But the man said there was no damage after it stopped.
Constantine said that although Morgan Hill Municipal Hall and other city buildings evacuated, everyone quickly returned to work.
The scenic Big Sur coast, 75 miles (120 kilometers) south of the epicenter, was felt by residents at Joseph Grant Ranch County Park.
Cal OES claimed that approximately 100,000 people received earthquake early warnings before the shaking started.
The group said warning times varied from two seconds near the epicenter to 18 seconds in San Francisco.
A system for earthquake detection and alerting created by the U.S. Geological Survey and collaborators is the foundation of MyShake. This statewide smartphone app went live to the general public in late 2019.
The U.S. Geological Survey reports that a 3.1 aftershock occurred approximately 5 minutes later.
Trains from several commuter rail companies, including Cal Train and the Bay Area Rapid Transit system, or BART, stop so that damage could inspect. By the early afternoon, BART was operating normally again.