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Magnitude 3.6 earthquake rattles Southern California

The quake struck at 1:24 p.m. approximately 12 miles northwest of Oxnard, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. May 30, 2023 (USGS)

Officials have upgraded the strength of an earthquake that rattled the coast of Ventura County on Tuesday from a magnitude 3.2 to a magnitude 3.6.

The quake struck at 1:24 p.m. approximately 12 miles northwest of Oxnard, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The epicenter was just offshore of Point Mugu at a depth of 6.6 miles.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

Preliminary data from the USGS indicates the quake may have been felt in Malibu, Thousand Oaks, and areas of Los Angeles County.

Tens of thousands of earthquakes are recorded in California each year, but the vast majority of them are extremely minor. Only several hundred are greater than magnitude 3.0, and only about 15 to 20 are greater than magnitude 4.0, according to the USGS.

In the continental United States, only Alaska records more quakes per year than California.

According to the California Department of Conservation, the strongest quake ever recorded in the Golden State measured 7.9 magnitude and struck Fort Tejon on Jan. 9, 1857.