2 small quakes hit near Lake Elsinore
Two light earthquakes rattled an area near Lake Elsinore early Wednesday morning, but no injuries or damages were reported, authorities said.
The U.S. Geological Survey said a magnitude 3.7 earthquake struck at 4:30 a.m. about 10 miles west of Lake Elsinore and 16 miles south of Riverside.
It was followed by a magnitude 3.2 quake roughly three hours later in the same area.
Both quakes were considered aftershocks of a magnitude 4.7 earthquake that occurred Sept. 2 close to the Elsinore fault zone in that area.
All are likely to have been what are called strike-slip quakes, which have little upward motion, said Nick Scheckel, a seismic analyst with Caltech.
Scheckel said the magnitude 3.7 was weakly felt as far north as Fontana and as far south as Escondido.
No injuries or damage were reported and emergency personnel received no quake-related calls, said Massiel Ladron De Guevara, a spokeswoman for the Riverside County Fire Department.
“With light shaking, maybe the 3.7, things would probably move and sway,” Scheckel said. “I doubt anything would be tossed off a bookshelf . . . but you might feel an abrupt jolt. It’d probably wake you up from your sleep.”
--
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
