Pair of M3.1 and M3.9 earthquakes hit San Jose area, California, rattling homes and residents inside up to San Francisco

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A pair of shallow earthquakes were felt Tuesday night, Dec. 26, in the San Jose area, rattling homes and the residents inside. They measured magnitude 3.1 and 3.9, according to the USGS. No injuries or notable damage were reported as a result of these quakes.

two earthquakes san jose california december 2017, two earthquakes san jose california december 26 2017, Two M3.9 and M3.1 earthquakes hit in the San Jose area in Northern California on December 26 2017
Two M3.9 and M3.1 earthquakes hit in the San Jose area, Northern California on December 26 2017.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the first tremor, a M3.1 quake, occurred at 7:19 p.m. local time near the town of San Martin and at a depth of about 4 1/2 miles. The second quake, a M3.9 tremblor, occurred three hours later at 10:32 p.m. PST at 5 1/2 miles deep near Alum Rock.

The earthquakes occurred along the Calaveras Fault, where the USGS estimates a 7.4 percent chance of a 6.7 magnitude or greater earthquake in the next 30 years.

The temblors were widely felt throughout the Bay Area, from Marin County, San Francisco, the Peninsula, East Bay and the South Bay. Residents said they were surprised by the tremors, which didn’t produce injuries or notable damage.

San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo urged residents to use the quake as a reminder to prepare for the possibility of a larger temblor in the future:

The USGS upgraded the East San Jose temblor from a 3.8 magnitude to a 3.9 magnitude earthquake shortly after the quake. Meanwhile, a magnitude 3.8 earthquake struck in the ocean near Petrolia on Dec. 28. So get ready for the next Big One in California…

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