Southern California rocked by 5.2 earthquake

Southern California rocked by 5.2 earthquake

A handout shakemap released by the US Geological Survey (USGS)

(Photo: USGS, EPA)

LOS ANGELES -- An moderate earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.2 rocked Southern California, rousing residents out of bed at about 1:05 a.m. PT.

The quake was centered near Borrego Springs in the desert east of Los Angeles, the U.S. Geological Service reported.

On the west side of Los Angeles, about 100 miles from the epicenter, the quake produced a long shaking motion lasting about 30 seconds. There was no hard jolt. In USA TODAY's news bureau on the ninth floor of an office building near Los Angeles International Airport, window shutters shook and the building structure rolled in steady waves.

The quake was also felt in San Diego.

Seismologist Lucy Jones tweeted that quake struck on the San Jacinto fault, one of the most active in the region. She says the same fault produced a magnitude 6 earthquake in 1937 and a 5.3 quake in 1980.

source: usatoday