Earthquake strikes Lake Elsinore, seismologist says quakes on rise in Southern California

Seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones said this year, there have been 13 earthquakes in Southern California with magnitudes of 4.0 or greater.

On Thursday, the U.S. Geological Survey nearly added another scale when it reported a preliminary magnitude 3.9 quake just west of Lake Elsinore in Riverside County.

The earthquake struck at about 9:39 a.m. at a depth about 5.5 miles away. According to the USGS, it was followed by a 3.0-magnitude aftershock.

No injuries or damage have been reported.

The earthquake occurred west of the lake, about two miles south of Interstate 15 and north of Lakeside High School.

Has California faced more earthquakes recently?

On Monday, Dr. Jones, with the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, said recently, there has been an increase in stronger earthquakes in Southern California.

Related: Don't wait for the big one. This is what to do before, during and after an earthquake

Jones explained that the number of earthquakes greater than 4.0 in 2024 is closer to the average recorded in Southern California over the past 90 years.

California hit by other recent earthquakes

On Monday, a magnitude 4.4 earthquake struck near Highland Park in Los Angeles County.

On Aug. 6, a 5.2-magnitude earthquake was centered in the Bakersfield area, about 15.5 miles southwest of Lamont in Kern County Nearly 24 hours later, the USGS detected more than 60 aftershocks within 20 miles of the epicenter.

On July 29, a magnitude-4.9 earthquake and two aftershocks of magnitude-3.5 and 2.8 struck the Barstow area. The earthquake fault nearest the epicenter is the Calico Fault.

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Earthquake strikes Lake Elsinore, seismologist says quakes on rise in Southern California