A magnitude-5.0 earthquake struck in the desert north of Ridgecrest Thursday afternoon, (August 22), followed by several quakes of magnitude 3 or higher. The seismic activity is a continuation of aftershocks from the 6.4 and 7.1 quakes that hit that area July 4 and 5 and is exactly what experts have said to expect in the months and years to come in the deserts of Kern and San Bernardino counties. Thursday’s 5.0 hit about 1:50 p.m. within the bounds of the Naval Air Warfare Center China Lake, about 20 miles north of Ridgecrest and 11 miles north of the July 5 earthquake, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. A San Bernardino County sheriff’s spokeswoman said there were no calls for service within its jurisdiction.
