LOWER LAKE – A small earthquake centered near Lower Lake startled some residents in that area and on the other side of the lake.

The quake, measuring 2.9 in magnitude on the Richter Scale, occurred at 9:47 p.m. Thursday at a depth of 1.4 miles, according to the US Geological Survey.

It was centered two miles west northwest of Lower Lake and three miles south of Clearlake, the US Geological Survey reported.

The quake was preceded by a 2.4-magnitude quake 17 minutes earlier, the epicenter of which was in the exact place. The US Geological Survey reported the earlier quake was recorded at a depth of 2.1 miles.

While quakes measuring 3.0 in magnitude and below don't usually garner special notice, the larger of the two quakes got a lot of attention in the south county area. There, quakes aren't as common as they are in Cobb and The Geysers, where the geothermal steamfields have been connected to the increased seismic activity.

Lower Lake residents reported both to the US Geological Survey and Lake County News that they felt the quake.

It was even felt in Clearlake Oaks. Ross Christensen, Lake County News' food columnist, and his family reported feeling the quake, which they described as an abrupt, big jolt that didn't feel like a normal earthquake.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .