Swarm of 25 earthquakes rattles California’s Salton Sea in 24 hours, geologists say

More than two dozen earthquakes have rattled California’s Salton Sea in 24 hours, geologists said.

The earthquakes began with a 3.5-magnitude earthquake that struck near Bombay Beach at 11:34 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 20, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

Several other earthquakes followed, ranging in magnitude from 1.2 to 2.7.

Few people reported feeling the earthquakes because of their remote location.

The Salton Sea is a shallow saline lake in the California desert. It’s about 120 miles northeast of San Diego.

Magnitude measures the energy released at the source of the earthquake, the U.S. Geological Survey says. It replaces the old Richter scale.

Quakes between 2.5 and 5.4 magnitude are often felt but rarely cause much damage, according to Michigan Tech. Quakes below 2.5 magnitude are seldom felt by most people.

This story was originally published September 21, 2022 at 11:51 AM with the headline "Swarm of 25 earthquakes rattles California’s Salton Sea in 24 hours, geologists say."