Two quakes 1 second apart on different faults jostle San Diego
The first quake was a 3.4-magnitude temblor that hit at 5:13 pm about 5 miles [8 kilometers] west-southwest of Tecate, Mexico, and 15 miles west-southwest of Campo. It was immediately followed by a 3.6 quake about 23 miles west-southwest of Progreso, Mexico, and 31 miles east-southeast of Campo.
- Americas
- DPA
- Published Date: 08:13 | 15 May 2023
- Modified Date: 08:22 | 15 May 2023
A pair of small earthquakes occurred one second apart late Sunday on different fault systems south of the US-Mexico border, producing light shaking in areas of San Diego County, according to the US Geological Survey.
"That's absolutely crazy," said Tom Rockwell, a seismologist at San Diego State University. "It's very random that quakes on separate faults happen at about the same time."
The first quake was a 3.4-magnitude temblor that hit at 5:13 pm about 5 miles [8 kilometers] west-southwest of Tecate, Mexico, and 15 miles west-southwest of Campo. It was immediately followed by a 3.6 quake about 23 miles west-southwest of Progreso, Mexico, and 31 miles east-southeast of Campo.
There was no immediate indication that shaking on the first quake triggered the second.
Small quakes regularly occur in and around the US-Mexico border but rarely lead to large events, Rockwell said.