The Great Smoky Mountain Journal

Staff, Wire Reports

Posted: Sunday, January 21, 2018 07:30 PM

Pair Of Earthquakes Shake San Jose, California Within Hours Tuesday Night

A pair of earthquakes were felt Tuesday night in the San Jose area.

They measured magnitude 3.1 and 3.9, according to the USGS.

No injuries or notable damage were reported as a result of these quakes.
A pair of shallow earthquakes occurred Tuesday night in the San Jose area, rattling homes and the residents inside.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the first temblor, measuring 3.1 magnitude, occurred at 7:19 p.m. local time near the town of San Martin. It struck at a depth of about 4 1/2 miles. The second quake, a 3.9, occurred three hours later at 10:32 p.m. PST and was 5 1/2 miles deep near Alum Rock.

Neither earthquake was responsible for injuries or notable damage, but residents said they were surprised by the tremors.

"A good shaker," Los Gatos resident Sanjay Khandelwal told the San Jose Mercury News. "My daughter felt it as well. She sleeps in a bunk bed and felt it move."

(MORE: Delaware Quake a Head-Scratcher for Seismologists)

San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo urged residents to use the quake as a reminder to prepare for the possibility of a larger temblor in the future.

The earthquakes occurred along the Calaveras Fault, according to CBS San Francisco. The USGS estimates a 7.4 percent chance of a 6.7 magnitude or greater ear