Two earthquakes rattle Pinnacles National Park in California, seismologists say

Two New Year’s Eve earthquakes shook up Pinnacles National Park on the Northern California coast within minutes, the U.S. Geological Survey reports.

The first, a 3.2-magnitude quake, hit at 10:19 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 31, the USGS said. About 25 people reported feeling the tremor to the agency.

The second, a 4.0-magnitude earthquake, struck at 10:49 p.m. a short distance away. About 250 people from as far away as Tuolomne and Clovis reported feeling the quake.

Pinnacles National Park covers 26,000 acres east of the Salinas Valley in Central California, about 80 miles southeast of San Jose.

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 January 1, 2023 at 6:17 AM with the headline "Two earthquakes rattle Pinnacles National Park in California, seismologists say."