Earthquakes shake Sonoma County, Mammoth Lakes and Central Coast

Several earthquakes hit various parts of California in the last 12 hours, including a swarm of minor temblors in the Mammoth Lakes area and a 5.0 magnitude quake in Sonoma County.

Mammoth Lakes, which has a history of seismic activity, recorded a 3.9 magnitude temblor Tuesday night that was followed by scores of aftershocks. The quake was felt in the area but no damage was reported.

A 3.9 quake was recorded in the town of Templeton on the Central Coast around 4 a.m. It was followed by a 3.0 aftershock.

Then, a 5.0 magnitude quake was recorded in Cloverdale in Sonoma County. No damage was immediately reported from that quake, but it was felt across the north San Francisco Bay and as far south as the San Francisco peninsula, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. A 3.0 aftershock followed.

Mammoth Lakes has been the scene of numerous quake swarms over the years due its location in a seismically active area. The Long Valley caldera is one of the most seismically active regions in the state, and is part of a quiet network of 17 volcanoes throughout California. Many of the older volcanoes haven’t been active for thousands of years.

The Cloverdale area quake occurred near another seismically active area known as The Geysers, geothermal field near Clear Lake. There has been much discussion over the years about the origins of these quakes and whether the process of generating energy in the field produces small temblors.

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UPDATES:

12:30 p.m.: This post was updated with aftershocks, more details.

This posted was originally published at 9:15 a.m.