Earthquakes shake Sonoma County, Mammoth Lakes and Central Coast
Several earthquakes hit various parts of California in the last 12 hours, including a swarm of minor temblors in the Mammoth Lakes area and a 5.0 magnitude quake in Sonoma County.
Mammoth Lakes, which has a history of seismic activity, recorded a 3.9 magnitude temblor Tuesday night that was followed by scores of aftershocks. The quake was felt in the area but no damage was reported.
Then, a 5.0 magnitude quake was recorded in Cloverdale in Sonoma County. No damage was immediately reported from that quake, but it was felt across the north San Francisco Bay and as far south as the San Francisco peninsula, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. A 3.0 aftershock followed.
The Cloverdale area quake occurred near another seismically active area known as The Geysers, geothermal field near Clear Lake. There has been much discussion over the years about the origins of these quakes and whether the process of generating energy in the field produces small temblors.
Two Mid-Level Earthquakes Strike California