4.0-magnitude earthquake shakes Central California early in the morning, geologists say

A 4.0-magnitude earthquake shook the Central California area the morning of Friday, Dec. 2, the U.S. Geological Survey reports.

The just over 1-mile deep quake hit about 4 miles west of Big Pine shortly after 4 a.m., according to the USGS.

About 30 people from as far away as Fresno and Los Banos reported feeling the shake, according to the agency.

A 3.8-magnitude earthquake shook the Southern California region the day prior, McClatchy News previously reported.

Magnitude measures the energy released at the source of the earthquake, the U.S. Geological Survey says. It replaces the old Richter scale.

Quakes between 2.5 and 5.4 magnitude are often felt but rarely cause much damage, according to Michigan Tech. Quakes below 2.5 magnitude are seldom felt by most people.

This story was originally published December 2, 2022 at 8:11 AM with the headline "4.0-magnitude earthquake shakes Central California early in the morning, geologists say."

Daniella Segura

McClatchy DC

Daniella Segura is a national real-time reporter with McClatchy. Previously, she’s worked as a multimedia journalist for weekly and daily newspapers in the Los Angeles area. Her work has been recognized by the California News Publishers Association. She is also an alumnus of the University of Southern California and UC Berkeley.