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The magnitude 4.7 earthquake Tuesday east of Monterey Bay hit on a unique section of the San Andreas fault that has long generated interest from scientists.

The quake was felt across a wide area and caused no major damage. It was followed Wednesday morning with a 3.4 magnitude aftershock. But it offered a reminder of the San Andreas’ presence as a dangerous seismic presence in California.

The ‘creeping’ section

The San Andreas fault has produced devastating quakes in Northern and Southern California.

But Tuesday’s quake occurred along a section that is notable for not having had dramatically large earthquakes in the modern historical record. Keith Knudsen, USGS geologist and deputy director of the agency’s Earthquake Science Center, called Tuesday’s quake “a garden variety San Andreas event” in this section.

(Credit: Los Angeles Times)
(Credit: Los Angeles Times)

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