By Cecilia Ponce de Leon
Special to the Alpine Mountaineer
A 3.6-magnitude earthquake rattled San Bernardino, the third quake to hit the area on Monday. Feb. 11. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the latest quake struck around 9:58 p.m. about three miles from San Bernardino.
In the morning, a preliminary magnitude 3.5 earthquake hit the area. That quake happened around 9:44 a.m. at a depth of nearly fives miles. It struck in the foothill areas above the 210 Freeway. A 3.0 temblor struck the same area a few minutes later.
Experts say this is normal activity, but they still urge the public to stay informed and prepared.
Another three earthquakes hit throughout the day, with the largest quake – a 3.6 magnitude earthquake – striking around 10 p.m.
Elizabeth Cochran, a seismologist with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), explained that there wasn’t anything unusual about the sequence of smaller earthquakes in the area.
“Earthquakes like to cluster together in both time and in space,” said Cochran. “So, in a particular area, if you have one earthquake, you’re likely to then see several more earthquakes nearby happening over the next few hours or day.”
Cochran says it’s hard to predict whether a set of earthquakes like those in San Bernardino could trigger a larger event.
For tips on being prepared for earthquakes and other natural disasters, visit prepare.sbcounty.gov.
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