Earthquakes have struck both Alaska and Southern California in the past 24 hours, less than two weeks after an extraordinary quake on the East Coast.
The Alaska quake on Friday registered a 7.1-magnitude and sparked a tsunami warning southeast of the remote Aleutian Islands.
On Thursday, a 4.2-magnitude quake rumbled through the Los Angeles region—the biggest such tremor in the area in more than a year. No injuries or damage were reported.
Although earthquakes can be frighteningly calamitous (like the Japanese disaster in March), it should be remembered that they are rather routine geologic events.
For example, the United States Geologic Survey (USGS) daily lists earthquake events around the world (including aftershocks) on its website.
Generally speaking, quakes below magnitude-2.5 are not even felt by the public.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the latest temblor was so quiet that most people in the city didn’t even realize that a quake had occurred. People in this quake-prone region are more than accustomed to the ground shaking.
One Los Angeles resident told the paper: “Just a rolly. It didn’t even move my chair.”
Read more about the latest disasters in the U.S. in the International Business Times.
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