SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California quietly experienced a flurry of seismic activity over the past day, with four small earthquakes recorded across the state in a 24-hour window — a familiar pulse in the Golden State’s ever-watchful fault network.
Data from the U.S. Geological Survey and the California Integrated Seismic Network show the most recent event occurred Saturday near Pinnacles, a magnitude 3.2 quake at a shallow depth of about 5.3 km, logged around 10:05 p.m. PDT. Roughly seven hours earlier, a magnitude 3.1 tremor near The Geysers was measured at approximately 2.2 km deep, an area well known for geothermal activity and frequent microquakes.
Further south, a magnitude 2.5 quake struck near Kernville in the southern Sierra Nevada Friday afternoon. Offshore, a magnitude 2.9 event was detected west of Petrolia beneath the Mendocino triple junction — a dynamic boundary where three tectonic plates converge.
No injuries or property damage have been reported in connection with these quakes. A handful of residents near Pinnacles and The Geysers submitted “felt” reports, noting light shaking.
Seismologists emphasize that these tremors fall squarely within California’s typical background seismicity. Even so, short bursts of small quakes can be a timely reminder to revisit earthquake readiness: review family communication plans, refresh emergency kits, and secure heavy furniture and appliances.
Officials say there is no evidence of elevated seismic risk at this time. Still, with cooler fall weather and subtle changes in ground stress influencing faults statewide, experts encourage residents to stay quake-ready.
In California, preparedness is always the smarter choice over surprise.
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