Bay Area rattled by magnitude 3.9 earthquake near San Jose
A magnitude 3.9 earthquake was reported at 11:16 p.m. Wednesday about six miles from downtown Morgan Hill and about 11 miles from the southernmost neighborhoods of San Jose.
Three hours later, a magnitude 4 earthquake in the Pacific Ocean was felt in Southern California, with people feeling weak shaking felt in Ventura County and western Los Angeles County.
The Northern California earthquake Wednesday night was calculated to have generated light shaking in Morgan Hill and Gilroy south of San Jose, and weak shaking throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, including San Jose, San Francisco and Oakland, as well as areas around Santa Cruz, Salinas, and Monterey.
Hundreds of people described feeling weak to light shaking to the USGS. The epicenter was in the remote mountains of Henry W. Coe State Park and about two miles east of Anderson Lake east of Morgan Hill.
In the last 10 days, there have been no earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby.
The Northern California earthquake was initially calculated as magnitude 4.1 before it was downgraded to 3.9. An average of 25 earthquakes with magnitudes between 4.0 and 5.0 occur per year in California and Nevada, according to a recent three year data sample.
The earthquake occurred at a depth of 3.7 miles. Did you feel this earthquake? Consider reporting what you felt to the USGS.
Find out what to do before, and during, an earthquake near you by reading our five-step earthquake preparedness guide.
The first version of this story was automatically generated by Quakebot, a computer application that monitors the latest earthquakes detected by the USGS. A Times editor reviewed the post before it was published; it was subsequently updated by a Times reporter. If you’re interested in learning more about the system, visit our list of frequently asked questions.
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