Aftershocks in the 5.0 to 6.0 range are possible during the next few days

More aftershocks - some in the 5.0- to 6.0-magnitude range -- are expected to shake Southern California in the wake of Sunday's magnitude-7.2 earthquake near Mexicali. The quake was felt throughout Southern California.

Initial reports said the quake was magnitude-6.9, but officials with the USGS later changed the figure to 7.2. The USGS timeline shows a swarm of aftershocks and other earthquakes.

"If you felt the first earthquake strongly, it's likely you will feel the aftershocks," said Dr. Lucy Jones, of Caltech. "It's likely they will happen over the next few days. The chance of a magnitude-5.0 to 6.0 aftershock is pretty good. 

"There's a possibility for some other triggered events, probably not very large."

The quake's epicenter was located about 30 miles south of Mexicali, about 120 miles east of San Diego. The quake struck at 3:40 p.m.

The quake set high rise buildings in Riverside, Los  Angeles and San Diego rocking back and forth. It also was felt in Palm Springs, but significant damage was not reported in Southern California.

"Being this far away it would have been a rolling motion," said Jones, of Caltech. "All the high energy is gone by the time it gets here."

The rolling motion was felt as far north as Santa Barbara, USGS seismologist Susan Potter said. The earthquake was also felt in Phoenix and Las Vegas, according to reports.

Jean Nelson, who was in Indio during the quake, told Reuters, "I'm shaking like a leaf ... the pool water was just going everywhere.".

A magnitude-5.1 aftershock -- the largest as of 6:30 p.m. -- struck the Imperial area at 4:15 p.m. At 4:09 p.m., a magnitude-4.5 quake was reported about 21 miles south of Ocotillo.

One reporter in the Inland Empire clocked the duration at 45 seconds. An NBCLA.com visitor in Movjave said movement could be felt for one minute. A Granada Hills resident said things started to settle after about one minute.

"But it seemed like forever," he added.

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power said there are no  power outages anywhere in the city, spokeswoman Maryanne Pierson said. A preliminary report indicated there was no significant damage in Los Angeles.

Damage in Mexicali Area

A civil protection chief in Mexico said the quake killed a man whose home collapsed in northern Mexico, according to the Associated Press.

Movement was felt for about 40 seconds in Tijuana, Mexico, causing buildings to sway and knocking out power in parts of the city. The Associated Press reported that families celebrating Easter ran out of the homes, with children screaming and crying.

Tijuana Fire Chief Rafael Carillo said firefighters so far have responded only to reports of minor damage. Near the epicenter, receptionist Juan Carlos Fernandez said there was minor damage at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Mexicali. The damage includes broken pipes and windows.

Calexico Fire Chief Peter Mercado said there is substantial damage in the older section of the city. Mercado said there is structural damage and broken windows, leaking gas lines and damage to the water system. But he says no injuries have been reported.

Jones said it's possible the fault involved was the Laguna Salada fault. It triggered a magnitude-7.2 earthquake in 1890.

"This might be a repeat for it, but we really need to get out there and see," Jones said.

Seismologists said the quake was the largest to strike the region in 18 years.

Jones said the quake was not on the San Andreas Fault. She said the quake might be capable of triggering other earthquakes.

Jones compared it to the 1992 magnitude-7.3 Landers earthquake. The quakes were not on the same fault, but it was after the Landers quake when seismologists realized a major earthquake can trigger earthquakes in other areas.

Three fatalities were attributed to the Landers quake.

Earlier this weekend, a series of small-to-moderate quakes hit the  geothermally-active area.

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.0 was recorded in Northern California Sunday afternoon. The U.S. Geological Survey says the quake hit at 3:49 p.m., about 25 miles north of Santa Rosa.

A geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake recorded in Northern California was not related to the Mexicali quake.

Source : NBC Los Angeles