Magnitude 4.6 earthquake that rattled Ridgecrest was an aftershock of 7.1 quake in 2019
An earthquake shook the Ridgecrest area Thursday evening.
The magnitude-4.6 quake struck at 6:19 p.m., a little over 8 miles northeast of Ridgecrest according to the U.S. Geological Survey. According to earthquake expert Dr. Lucy Jones, Thursday's earthquake was an aftershock to the 7.1 earthquake that struck the area in 2019.
Today's M4.6 is an aftershock to the 2019 M7.1 Ridgecrest earthquake. Aftershock sequences to M≥7s last for years or even decades. They follow a "hyperbolic decay" meaning the number drops off quickly and then continues with a long, slowly decaying tailhttps://t.co/eMKImEQuQS https://t.co/5TQQ8gM7cN
— Dr. Lucy Jones (@DrLucyJones) July 15, 2022
Ridgecrest in 2019 was hit in quick succession by a magnitude-6.4 on the Fourth of July, then followed two days later by a 7.1 earthquake that left major cracks in roads and military facilities in the area, and caused an estimated $1 billion in economic loss.
Earlier Thursday, a quake struck near the Salton Sea just before noon and near Lytle Creek in San Bernardino County at 12:30 p.m.
There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.