A 3.8 magnitude earthquake that struck in the Concord area Thursday morning was reportedly felt across parts of the Bay Area.
The quake hit at 11:18 a.m., the United States Geological Survey said. It was centered 0.3 miles west of Concord, 2.5 miles north-northeast of Pleasant Hill and 5.2 miles north-northeast of Walnut Creek.
In addition to near the epicenter, shaking was also reportedly felt in cities such as Emeryville, Daly City, San Francisco, Pacifica and San Mateo.
The temblor struck on the Concord Fault. While it’s not as well-known as the more dangerous Hayward Fault, USGS seismologist Annemarie Baltay said the Concord Fault is still capable of causing a strong earthquake that can be disastrous.
"In order to have a really large earthquake, you need a really long fault, and the Concord Fault isn’t that long, but it could have a magnitude 6 probably," she said.
Baltay said Thursday's earthquake reassured her that the USGS models are correct and that the Bay Area should expect more earthquakes of this same intensity.
"The faults are telling us that they’re still active, they’re here," she said.
