Hollister
– A minor but noticeable 3.1 earthquake shook San Benito County
Tuesday afternoon, the county’s second quake since
Thanksgiving.
Hollister – A minor but noticeable 3.1 earthquake shook San Benito County Tuesday afternoon, the county’s second quake since Thanksgiving.
The temblor occurred at 2:33pm. Its epicenter was five miles north-northwest of Hollister and five miles deep. Susan Garcia, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Geological Survey, said the quake is associated with the Calaveras Fault, which runs through San Benito County and Hollister.
It caused no reported damage.
“It is not uncommon to have this type of activity on the Calaveras,” said Hal Macbeth, a seismologist with the U.S. Geological Survey.
Macbeth said the quake most likely had horizontal motion, as most of the activity along the Calaveras Fault occurs as the earth’s plates pass each other.
Garcia said the quake serves as a reminder that San Benito County is a seismically active area. She said the Calaveras Fault has an 11 percent probability for one or more 6.7 or greater earthquakes within a 30-year period.
The last quake of notable magnitude originating in San Benito County was on Nov. 29, 2006. The November quake was a 4.0 and was felt by more people, but did not cause any damage. Several micro quakes followed the quake, all with an epicenter about three miles west of Hollister.
