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Moderate quake rattles central California

Other News Materials 24 May 2009 08:24 (UTC +04:00)

A 4.7-magnitude earthquake shook central California, less than a week after a pair of similar temblors rattled the highly populated southern part of the state, AFP reported.

The United States Geological Survey said Saturday's quake struck at 2258 GMT, at a depth of just 0.062 miles, and occurred some 7 miles from the town of Keeler, and 200 miles north of Los Angeles.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or major damage.

The reading was based on the open-ended Moment Magnitude scale, now used by US seismologists, which measures the area of the fault that ruptured and the total energy released.

A 4.1-magnitude tremor rattled Los Angeles last Tuesday, two days after another 4.7 earthquake that struck the densely populated area and put the sprawling California metropolis on edge.

Geologists say an earthquake capable of causing widespread destruction is 99 percent certain of hitting California within the next 30 years.

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