6.2 magnitude earthquake strikes Kepulauan Mentawai region of Indonesia

September 14, 2012 – INDONESIA - A 6.2 -magnitude quake struck off Indonesia’s Sumatra Island on Friday, the US Geological Survey said, but no tsunami warning was issued and there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The epicenter of the quake, which struck at 11:51 am (0451 GMT) at a depth of 25 kilometers (15.5 miles), was 190 kilometers northwest of the town of Bengkulu. Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency measured the magnitude at 6.1. The Indonesian agency said the earthquake was felt in the cities of Padang and Bengkulu and along the southern coast of Sumatra. “There are no reports of damage so far. The quake happened in the sea close to Mentawai Island, but no tsunami warning has been issued,” the agency’s duty officer, Koko Widyatmoko, told AFP. –Jakarta Globe 

Northern Ca. tremor: There are no damage reports after an earthquake jolted rural areas of Northern California near the Oregon border. A U.S. Geological Survey computer generated report says the magnitude-4.5 quake struck at 4:53 a.m. Friday and was centered 10 miles south of Fortuna. The area is about 180 miles southeast of Sacramento. Fortuna police dispatcher Tanya Kadle says he felt a quick jolt. She says there have been no reports of damage or injury. –Sac Bee

ASTEROID FLYBY: Today, an asteroid as wide as three football fields is flying past Earth. At closest approach, 2012 QG42 will be 2.8 million km (7.4 lunar distances) away, so there is no danger of a collision. Nevertheless, it is close enough for backyard astronomers to track using large amateur telescopes; the space rock is glowing like a 14th magnitude star. –Space Weather

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