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2 Magnitude 4.3 Earthquakes Strike Hours Apart Off SoCal Coast Near San Clemente Island

A small series of earthquakes, including two measuring magnitude 4.3, struck near San Clemente Island off of Southern California, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The first magnitude 4.3 temblor struck at 3:47 a.m. was centered west of southern San Clemente, which is the southernmost of the Channel Islands and a part of Los Angeles County.

A second quake measuring magnitude 4.3 rattled the same area less than four hours later, at 7:32 a.m., USGS reported.

Two more small tremors followed, one with magnitude 2.9 and another measuring magnitude 2.6.

In the afternoon, at about 3:33 p.m., another quake struck in the same area, measuring in at magnitude 3.3.

The earthquakes hit about 33 miles southwest of Avalon on Catalina Island, 59 miles south of Rancho Palos Verdes and 60 miles southwest of Newport Beach, according to USGS.

San Clemente Island is located about 41 miles off Southern California.

Weak-to-light shaking was reported along the coast from Chula Vista to Malibu. It was also felt in some inland areas as well, including Santa Clarita, Hemet and Rialto.

Southern California has experienced hundreds of small earthquakes since May 25, though the vast majority have been centered in the Glen Avon area of Jurupa Valley.

Seismologist Lucy Jones said it was unlikely those who felt the shaking in Glen Avon would also have felt the coastal earthquakes, though the latter were more powerful.

“Tens of times more energy released in these 2 than in the hundreds in Glen Avon. SoCal is earthquake country,” she tweeted.

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