Powerful 7.0 earthquake hits off California but no major damage reported
Damage assessments are ongoing across California after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck earlier this morning.
The earthquake's epicentre was about 68km off the coastal town of Ferndale, with residents there experiencing tremors.
The US Geological Survey initially issued a tsunami warning for California and Oregon, but this was cancelled shortly after.
More than 10,000 power outages have been reported in Humboldt County - though there have been no reports of significant damage there.
California governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in order to provide more resources for affected areas.
Strong quakes of a 7.0 magnitude and above are rarely experienced in the region - there are usually only between 10 and 15 earthquakes of this size that hit globally each year.
We're now finishing our live coverage, but you can stay across any further updates of the California earthquake here.
Hillary Lazarus, didn't feel the earthquake as she enjoyed a peaceful, sunny hike on the Bay Area's famous Mount Tamalpais.
But she knew there was a tsunami warning. First, her iPhone sent an emergency message that was "very, very loud" and which came before there was any information posted on news sites.
She wondered, at first, if it was erroneous, as she's received tsunami alerts after earthquakes in Japan or other places along the Pacific Ocean. Then texts, alerts and robo-calls from government agencies all came through on her phone.
From her spot on Mount Tam, which is 2,579ft (786m) above sea level, she couldn't see if there was any change in the water below and didn't hear any tsunami alarms.
"I was hiking out on a mountain, so I was not concerned about my imminent safety," she said.
White House Spokesperson Jeremy Edwards says President Joe Biden has been briefed on the situation and authorities are standing by if support is needed.
Edwards said there have been no requests for federal assistance at this time.
In California, the North American tectonic plate and the Pacific Plate are grinding past each other along the infamous San Andreas fault, averaging about 30-50 millimetres (1-2 inches) every year. The movement is anything but fluid.
Over time, stress created by the slow marching tectonic plates builds – when the fault reaches its stress limit, it "slips" and ruptures, causing an earthquake.
A rupture begins at one location and travels in one direction along the fault, stretching up to hundreds of kilometers.
The longest rupture ever recorded was a 994 mile (1,600km) portion of a fault that caused the Great Sumatra-Andaman earthquake and resulting tsunami on Boxing Day 2004.
Today’s earthquake off the coast of California reached a magnitude of 7.0.
This region of America is where some of the Earth’s tectonic plates meet, often resulting in friction that passes up to ground level.
But a 7.0 magnitude quake isn't typical in the region, or for that matter, anywhere that gets frequent earthquakes. Between about 10 to 15 earthquakes of this power are recorded globally each year.
So how does today's tremor compare to some of California's largest earthquakes?
There have been 12 other earthquakes measuring 7.0 or greater, according to data, external that has been recorded since 1800.
In 1994, a 6.7 quake hit Northridge, a neighbourhood in the densely populated San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles. About 57 people died (this number is likely higher because of people who had heart attacks), and thousands were hurt. It caused about $20 billion of damage.
In 1906, more than 80% of San Francisco was destroyed following a 7.9 magnitude quake, which led to widespread fires and the deaths of 3,000 people.
There have been no fatalities or major damage recorded so far from today's event.