Multiple Small Quakes Jolt Oakland, Sam Ramon In Seismic 'Flare Up': Report

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Oakland became the newest Bay Area city to feel an earthquake on Monday. The tremor struck at 2:55 PM (local time) with an initial magnitude of 2.9, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The earthquake originated about 2.85 miles deep, with the epicentre situated just north of Montclair.

According to a report by SFGATE, the series of earthquakes around San Ramon carried on into Monday afternoon, following at least seven tremors earlier in the day. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, two additional small quakes hit the area-one registering a preliminary magnitude of 2.9 at 1:50 p.m., and another measuring 2.6 at 1:59 p.m.

Also Read | Japan Earthquake Live: All tsunami advisories lifted as threat passes

UC Berkeley seismologist Roland Burgmann told SFGATE that Monday morning's earthquakes in San Ramon represent a“flare-up” of last month's swarm, which produced around 90 small quakes in November.

He explained that this type of activity is typical for the San Ramon and Alamo area, which has seen roughly a dozen similar swarms over the past two to two-and-a-half decades.

Also Read | Earthquake Today: 2.1 magnitude tremor shakes California's San Ramon on 8 Dec

“These are a little bit different from earthquakes that we usually see, where commonly we see a bigger event first and then you have smaller ones that are called aftershocks. This is different in the sense that they come and go for a while, they tend to never get very big,” he told SFGATE.

Earlier on December 8, a powerful earthquake struck Japan's northern coast on Monday, prompting the country's meteorological agency to report two tsunami waves measuring 40 centimeters and local media to report several injuries.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the 7.6-magnitude quake occurred at 1415 GMT off the Pacific coast near Misawa, at a depth of 53 kilometres (33 miles).

The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami alert, and the first wave reached a port in Aomori - the northern region where Misawa is located - at 11:43 (1443 GMT).

Also Read | Earthquake Today: Tremor of 5.45 magnitude rattles Turkey

Japan sits on top of four major tectonic plates along the western edge of the Pacific "Ring of Fire" and is one of the world's most tectonically active countries.

The archipelago, home to around 125 million people, experiences around 1,500 jolts every year.

The vast majority are mild, although the damage they cause varies according to their location and depth below the Earth's surface.

The meteorological agency warned that aftershocks are likely in the days ahead, noting a slightly elevated risk of a magnitude-8 earthquake and potential tsunami along the northeastern coastline from Chiba, east of Tokyo, up to Hokkaido. It advised residents across 182 municipalities in the region to stay alert and review their emergency readiness throughout the coming week.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said in brief comments to reporters that the government set up an emergency task force to urgently assess the extent of damage.“We are putting people's lives first and doing everything we can,” she said.

Later, she urged residents in the region to pay attention to the latest information from local municipalities.“Please be prepared so you can immediately evacuate as soon as you feel a tremor."

(With inputs from agencies)

MENAFN08122025007365015876ID1110455040