A 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck Southern California on Friday night, the second in less than two days.
The quake was centered near Ridgecrest, location of the July 4th 6.4 magnitude temblor that was the largest in nearly 20 years.
That quake caused minor damage and injuries around the epicenter.
This quake was much larger.
When Thursday's quake hit, scientists had warned that it could lead to a larger quake. Ridgecrest had been rattled by numerous aftershocks over the last day, including a 5.4 magnitude temblor on Friday morning.
This quake was larger than the destructive 1994 Northridge quake, which measured 6.6 magnitude. But that temblor occurred in an urban area, while this week's huge quakes occurred 100 miles from L.A.
The last quake of this size occurred in 1999 in the Hector Mines area of the Mojave Desert. Because of its distance from Los Angeles, it did not cause major damage or injuries.
