Dozens of quakes strike Nevada desert near California border, USGS reports

A swarm of more than 25 earthquakes reaching up to 3.5 magnitude has rattled Tonopah in the Nevada desert between Reno and Las Vegas in the past 24 hours, the U.S. Geological Survey reports.

The other quakes in the swarm ranged from less than 1.0 to 3.3 magnitude, according to the USGS. The earthquakes all hit within about 4 miles of Tonopah.

A 6.5 magnitude earthquake hit near Tonopah on May 15, The Fresno Bee reported.

The swarm began with a 2.8-magnitude quake at 11:23 a.m. Monday and continued through a 2.5-magnitude temblor at 10:53 a.m. Tuesday, the USGS reported.

A 3.7-mile deep 3.5 magnitude quake hit at 2:40 p.m. Monday, according to the USGS.

Tonopah, an unincorporated community of about 2,000 people at the junction of U.S. Routes 6 and 95, lies about halfway between Reno and Las Vegas.

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.