Strong and shallow M5.8 earthquake hits Owens Lake, California
A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M5.8 hit central California at 17:40 UTC on June 24, 2020. The agency is reporting a depth of 4.7 km (2.9 miles). 12 aftershocks were reported over the next 47 minutes, with the strongest one M4.5.
The epicenter was located 9.5 km (5.9 miles) WSW of Keeler (population 66), 17 km (10.5 miles) SSE of Lone Pine (population 2 035), and 96 km (59.5 miles) NNW of Ridgecrest (population 28 940), California.
There are about 54 000 people living within 100 km (62 miles).
2 000 people are estimated to have felt strong shaking.
Image credit: Google, TW/SAM
Image credit: Google, TW/SAM
The USGS issued a green alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. There is a low likelihood of casualties and damage.
Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are resistant to earthquake shaking, though vulnerable structures exist. The predominant vulnerable building types are unreinforced brick masonry and reinforced masonry construction.
Recent earthquakes in this area have caused secondary hazards such as landslides and liquefaction that might have contributed to losses.
Estimated population exposure to earthquake shaking
Selected cities exposed
Regional seismicity
Featured image credit: Google, TW/SAM
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