The US quake-monitoring agency reduced the strength of a California earthquake to a magnitude of 5.9 after first reporting a magnitude-6 shock. The quake struck Thursday in the Pacific Ocean, about 76 kilometers off the Northern California coast but caused no apparent damage. The quake followed a magnitude-6.5 temblor that struck the same area on January 9, causing 12 million dollars of structural damage to the coastal city of Eureka, according to dpa. The US Geological Survey said the latest quake struck at 12:20 pm (0420 GMT) and the shaking could be felt over a radius of 240 kilometers. Local officials said there had been no reports of damage in the latest quake. The area where the temblor hit is about 500 kilometers north of San Francisco. It is known as the earthquake capital of California because it sits on three tectonic plates that frequently collide, causing earthquakes. Researchers said the area has historically been hit with a huge quake every 300 to 400 years.
