Earthquake strikes central California

PARKFIELD, Calif. -- A strong earthquake struck central California, Tuesday, that was felt from San Francisco to the Los Angeles area. There were no immediate reports of injuries.\nThe quake, which struck at 10:15 a.m. PDT, had a preliminary magnitude of 6.0 and was centered 7 miles southeast of Parkfield, the town known as California's earthquake capital, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The area is 21 miles northeast of Paso Robles, scene of an earthquake that killed two people in December.\n"I had stuff everywhere ... lamps and pictures and stuff on the floor," said Willa Sell, 77, who lives on a ranch outside Parkfield. "I was happy when it was over. It was a real shaker."\nA series of aftershocks quickly rattled the area, one with a preliminary 5.0 magnitude four minutes after the main earthquake and three others 4.1 or above.\nA little more than an hour after the main earthquake, a spokesman for the state Office of Emergency Services said the office hadn't received any reports of injury or damage.\n"The aftershocks are tracking toward the northwest, which is good, according to the scientists, because it appears it is not a precursor to something larger," said Eric Lamoureaux, an emergency services spokesman.\nThe quake was felt along a 350-mile stretch, as far north as San Francisco and as far south as Santa Ana, southeast of Los Angeles, the geological survey said. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department reported receiving several calls.\nParkfield, population 37, is located on the San Andreas fault and it has experienced six similar, magnitude 6.0 earthquakes with apparent regularity -- one approximately every 22 years.\nThe USGS even named its major long-term earthquake research project the Parkfield Experiment.\n"This is earthquake country. It's a larger earthquake than what usually occurs, but it's not unprecedented," said USGS spokeswoman Stephanie Hanna. "We expect big earthquakes in this area, but don't know when they'll occur."\nThe USGS estimate of magnitude was strengthened from 5.8, or "moderate," to 6.0, the threshold for a "strong" earthquake. Preliminary magnitudes are determined by seismographs across the planet, and often change as scientists pinpoint where the epicenter is and interpret the data.\nA magnitude 5 quake can cause considerable damage and a magnitude 6 quake severe damage, though problems are generally far less severe in remote areas and areas with strong building codes.\n"We have good architecture and good building codes in California," Hanna said.