2 moderate earthquakes strike California in 5-minute span

SAN JUAN BAUTISTA, Calif. -- Two moderate earthquakes have struck central California, one of which was widely felt across the region.

The U.S. Geological Survey reported a magnitude-3.6 earthquake struck at 10:21 p.m. Wednesday and a magnitude-4.2 temblor struck five minutes later. At least one smaller quake followed later.

The epicenter was about 2 miles south of San Juan Bautista and 11 miles northeast of Salinas.

Nearly 1,500 people reported on the USGS website that they felt the first quake and more than 30 reported the second.

There were no reports of damage.

CBS San Francisco reports that deeper quakes are less noticeable while a shallow quake-in the 0 to 40 mile depth range-can feel much stronger than their actual reported magnitude. Quakes just below the earth's surface, in the 0 to 10 miles range, can cause even more damage at lower magnitudes.

Strong earthquakes with an epicenter off the coast can trigger tsunamis, depending on the size and type of the fault movement. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center tracks earthquake data for the West Coast.