The earthquake struck California at 5.48am, waking up many residents in the south of the state and north-west Mexico. One resident said on earthquake tracking website EMSC-CSEM: “The roof creaked and the ground rumbled.” Another reported: “It woke me up.”
A third said: “I heard the windows and building shake/settle and felt my chair shake, but didn’t see anything move.”
The earthquake will increase fears for the Big One – a long-overdue powerful earthquake which could wreak havoc on the US west coast.
Richard Aster, Professor of Geophysics at Colorado State University, warned earlier this year California is in an “earthquake drought” and overdue a 7.0 quake.
He said: “Although many Californians can recount experiencing an earthquake, most have never personally experienced a strong one.
“For major events, with magnitudes of seven or greater, California is actually in an earthquake drought.”
California is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, the most geologically active region in the world.
More than 90 per cent of earthquakes occur here, as well as 22 or the 25 biggest volcanic eruptions in history.