Late Saturday morning, parts of the Bay Area experienced a noticeable tremor as an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 3.4 struck the region. The quake, which occurred at 11:12 a.m., was centered near Garber Park along the Berkeley-Oakland border, approximately 9.4 kilometers deep.
The epicenter of the quake rests on the Hayward Fault, a significant geological feature running through the East Bay hills. This fault has long been recognized as overdue for a major seismic event, with the last notable quake, registering a magnitude of 6.8, occurring in 1868. Experts from UC Berkeley's Berkeley Seismology Lab have warned of the impending risk, stating the likelihood of a significant earthquake along the Hayward Fault within the next three decades.
While primarily felt in the East Bay, reports flooded in from as far away as San Francisco, the North Bay, and San Jose, according to data collected on the United States Geological Survey's self-reported data page.
The quake in the Bay Area follows a week of heightened seismic activity in Northern California. Earlier in the week, seven earthquakes, including one with a magnitude of 4.4, rattled the area around Chico.
