Magnitude 4.4 Earthquake Jolts Lake County, Followed by 2 Aftershocks

A magnitude 4.4 earthquake jolted the residents of Lake County late Tuesday night, according to the United States Geological Survey, shortly known as USGS.

The USGS reports that the 4.4 magnitude quake struck at exactly 10:39 pm. Residents from The Geysers in Sonoma and Lakes counties have reportedly felt the shaking.

​​Magnitude 4.4 Earthquake Strikes Lake County

According to a report by ABC 7 News, the earthquake's epicenter was located near Cobb, roughly 60 miles north of Santa Rosa. To be more precise, the USGS disclosed that it struck 7.4 kilometers northwest of Cobb and about 25 kilometers northeast of Healdsburg.

As of writing, firefighters have not reported any injuries or major property damage brought about by the tremor. Despite that, residents in the area said that they felt the shake.

NBC Bay Area notes that the earthquake was also felt in the Geysers area, primarily known for its frequent geothermal activity. Tremors such as this are generally quite common in California, relatively more frequent than in most states in the United States (US).

The USGS recorded several smaller earthquakes in the area, not more than a 2.5 magnitude, late Tuesday night. The largest tremor, which was initially reported at a 4.5 magnitude, is the 4.4 quake. Since then, two aftershocks followed the earthquake. The first one was recorded at a 2.8 magnitude, while the other aftershock was at a 2.5 magnitude.

Magnitude 3.3 Earthquake Near Soledad

The earthquake that struck Lake County came a few hours after a quake occurred near Soledad in California. The USGS reports that it has recorded a magnitude 3.3 earthquake, which jolted residents early evening on Tuesday, precisely at 7:22 pm.

The epicenter of the quake is roughly 13 miles away from Greenfield. It is not far away from Salinas, which is about 24 miles. The tremor is 19 miles from King City and 22 miles from Hollister, according to a report by the Los Angeles Times.

Similar to the 4.4 magnitude quake in Lake Country, there are no reports of injuries and significant damages since the earthquake near Soledad struck.

The USGS notes that earthquakes less than a 4 or 5 magnitude are less likely to leave any damage. But over this rating, it could create significant damages, not to mention injuries among people in the area. With that in mind, the recent earthquake near Soledad is less likely to leave any damage based on its magnitude.

However, the US Geological Survey notes that it still depends on other factors, noting that magnitude alone could not determine possible damage that a quake could leave behind. The distance of the tremor, as well as the land in the area and the structure of the building, all play a role.

"It depends on other variables, such as the distance from the earthquake, what type of soil you are on, building construction, etc.," the USGS explains on its website.