Mojave Desert 4.2 magnitude earthquake shakes Los Angeles

December 2015 – LOS ANGELES – On Sunday morning at around 10:31 a.m. (PST), a 4.2 magnitude earthquake struck the Mojave Desert area and according to KTLA, it was felt as far off as Los Angeles. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), preliminary data points toward an epicenter located 4 miles beneath the surface, 26 miles north-northwest of Barstow, California — a city with a population of, according to 2013 census data, more than 23,000. No damage was immediately reported as a result of the quake.

On Saturday, a 3.6 magnitude quake struck at around 12:04 a.m. (PST) in the morning. The Los Angeles Times reported the quake to have been a shallow one, which reportedly occurred at a depth of 0 miles. Saturday’s quake originated 26 miles from Barstow, according to the USGS. Prior to the quake on Saturday, the USGS Earthquake Notification Service hadn’t reported any quakes with a magnitude of 3.0 or greater originating from the area. In relation to Barstow Heights, the quake on Saturday was 26 miles away and from Ridgecrest, 35 miles away. Sunday’s quake was 23 miles from Johannesburg, 62 miles from Lancaster and 36 miles from Ridgecrest. Last month, a 4.7 magnitude quake sent a shockwave across several Midwest states. The quake’s epicenter was located 9 miles southwest of Cherokee, Oklahoma. According to reports, it could be felt as far off as 1,200 miles from its epicenter. –IN