4.4-magnitude quake near Mammoth Lakes rattles Sierra Nevada, USGS reports
A 4.4-magnitude earthquake rocked the Sierra Nevada mountains south of Mono Lake early Sunday afternoon, the U.S. Geological Survey reports.
The 5-mile deep quake hit near Toms Place at 12:20 p.m. Pacific time, according to the USGS. Scores of people from as far away as Amador, Merced and Visalia reported feeling the tremor to the agency.
Most reports of the quake came from the nearby communities of Mammoth Lakes and Bishop, however.
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.