Quake Jolts Area Near San Francisco Zoo

Three small earthquakes rattled the coast just south-southwest of the San Francisco Zoo on Saturday afternoon, and the largest was later revised to magnitude 2.9. (abc7news.com) (earthquake.usgs.gov) The first quake struck at 4:39 p.m. local time, followed by a magnitude 2.0 aftershock at 4:40 p.m. and a magnitude 2.7 aftershock at 4:41 p.m., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. (abc7news.com) (kron4.com) The U.S. Geological Survey’s latest earthquake list showed the 2.9 and 2.7 events centered about 3 kilometers south-southwest of the zoo at depths of about 7.0 and 6.9 kilometers. (earthquake.usgs.gov) That depth matters because shallow earthquakes usually produce sharper shaking at the surface than deeper ones. ABC7, citing the U.S. Geological Survey, said people typically report feeling quakes larger than about magnitude 2.5. (abc7news.com) (kron4.com) No injuries or major damage were immediately reported after the three-quake burst near the city’s Pacific edge. The sequence was brief, but it was strong enough to register as felt shaking for some residents. (abc7news.com) (earthquake.usgs.gov) The episode also showed how early earthquake numbers can move. Bay City News initially reported the first shock as magnitude 3.0, and ABC7 later said the U.S. Geological Survey downgraded it to 2.9. (kron4.com) (abc7news.com) For San Francisco, the takeaway was not large-scale damage but a fast, three-minute reminder that even minor coastal quakes can be widely noticed when they strike close to the surface and close to neighborhoods. (abc7news.com) (earthquake.usgs.gov)