Magnitude 4.2 earthquake near Borrego Springs shakes San Diego County

By Gary Robbins | The San Diego Union-Tribune

A magnitude 4.2 earthquake struck at 4:12 a.m. on Saturday roughly 10 miles north of Borrego Springs, producing brief shaking that was felt across much of San Diego County, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The temblor occurred near the San Jacinto fault, a highly active system that partly runs through San Diego County. It produced a 3.8 quake on December 1 that also shook the region.

The latest quake began 1.5 miles beneath the Earth’s surface, which is unusually shallow. Saturday’s event was felt by people from San Diego to Oceanside along the coast and from Fallbrook to Boulevard at inland areas, the Geological Survey said. The quake also was felt beyond the county’s borders, in places such as Los Angeles, Long Beach, Cathedral City, Mission Viejo, Irvine and the Salton Sea.