Mild Quake Rattles San Jose Area; No One Hurt
A mild earthquake rattled the San Jose and Milpitas area Friday night, according to the seismographic station at the University of California. No injuries or damage was reported.
The temblor measured 3.5 on the Richter scale, said Rick McKenzie, a research associate with the UC station in Berkeley.
The Richter scale is a measure of ground motion recorded on a seismogrpah. Every increase of one number, say from magnitude 5.5 to 6.5, means that the ground motion is 10 times greater. An earthquake of 4 on the Richter scale can cause moderate local damage, 5 considerable damage and 8 tremendous damage.
McKenzie said the quake’s epicenter was 10 miles northeast of San Jose. He said the quake struck at 6:19 p.m. in the communities southeast of San Francisco.
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