Three Earthquakes Strike Near Yosemite Valley, Lake Tahoe

Update, 1:30 p.m. Wednesday:

The U.S. Geological Survey says the Bay Area could experience more aftershocks from a series of moderate earthquakes centered near Lake Tahoe early Wednesday.

USGS geologist David Schwartz says the Bay Area could feel aftershocks around magnitude 3 over the next few weeks, adding that the fault lines involved in the quakes are likely pointing toward the Bay Area.

There's a chance these quakes could be a precursor to a larger tremor, says Schwartz, but the likelihood of that happening stands at only about 5 to 10 percent.

USGS does not yet know what faults were involved.

The University of Nevada's Seismological Laboratory says the series of quakes were felt more than 200 miles away in San Francisco and Las Vegas.

The Mineral County Sheriff's Office hasn't received any reports of injuries or significant damage, but the seismic activity did cause a rockslide in the area.

Original Post:

Three earthquakes ranging from magnitude 5.5 to 5.7 struck early Wednesday about 70 miles southeast of Lake Tahoe, and their rumblings were felt across areas of Nevada and California. There were no immediate reports of problems.

The U.S. Geological Survey says the moderate temblors were centered in a remote area of Nevada near the California state line.

A 5.7 quake struck at 12:18 a.m. PST, followed by another 5.7 four minutes later and a 5.5 at 1:13 a.m.

A series of smaller aftershocks have also occurred.

The Mineral County Sheriff's Department in Hawthorne, Nevada, near the epicenter, has not had any reports of injury or damage. The office says the quakes apparently set off burglar alarms at two businesses, and caused a rock slide that did not block a nearby highway.

In addition to Lake Tahoe, the USGS says the quakes were felt in such areas as Carson City, Nevada, and Yosemite National Park and Mammoth Lakes in California, all roughly 60 miles from the epicenter.

Sonja Hutson contributed to this report.