Two Earthquakes Strike Sonoma County Tuesday

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — A magnitude 3.0 earthquake struck near The Geysers this afternoon, followed just 17 seconds later by a magnitude 2.8 aftershock, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The first earthquake struck at 2:34 p.m. about 4.3 miles northwest of The Geysers, USGS data showed.

The earthquake originated about 1.7 miles beneath the surface.

A magnitude 2.8 aftershock followed at 2:35 p.m., also about 4.3 miles northwest of The Geysers.

The second quake originated about 1.6 miles beneath the surface.

USGS data assigned the magnitude 2.8 earthquake a maximum reported intensity of 3 on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale. Intensity 3 generally describes weak shaking that people may notice indoors, particularly on upper floors.

The Geysers sits in a seismically active area of Northern California and regularly records small earthquakes.