Thaindian News

By Madhuri Dey
California, Feb 5, (THAINDIAN NEWS) Northern California was hit by yet another earthquake, just after a month of the last quake that hit the city. The earthquake occurred on Feb 4, 2010, around 12:20 in the afternoon. The quake measured 6.0 on the Richter Scale, a pretty strong one, although a bit lesser in intensity than the 6.5 one that had hit California only a month back. Thankfully, however, unlike last time, no damage was registered, and neither any loss of life, which, although fortunate, is pretty surprising, given that the earthquake was considerably intense.

The authorities from the Geological Survey of the United States reported that the earthquake measured up to about 6.5 in the Moment Magnitude Scale, and that it was only seven feet deep, starting at the Mendocino Fault. This fact perhaps explains the non-destructive nature of the quake. The epicenter of the quake was around 35 miles away from Petrolia in Humboldt County, off the western coast of the Pacific Ocean. Although the quake itself was not at all destructive, the tremors were intense enough to be recorded at San Francisco, about 275 miles far from the epicenter. It was also felt in other areas like Los Angeles, Huntington Beach, Ventura, Venice and Anaheim.

According to Jim Goltz from the California Emergency Management Agency, the latest earthquake might have an aftershock of the major 6.5 quake that hit the city on Jan 9. It has also been reported that although no damage or loss of life has been reported, concerned citizens kept calling the emergency services. However, many of the citizens expressed surprise that the quake had measured that high on the scale, as no more than a strong jolt was felt by most.