5.3 magnitude earthquake strikes near Cabo San Lucas

A 5.3 magnitude earthquake struck the Gulf of California, about 92 miles northeast of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico at 9:34 p.m. on Thursday. Tucson is about 600 miles to the northeast of the epicenter.

The earthquake was only about six miles beneath the surface of the Earth, which makes this a shallow trembler and more likely to be felt nearby. A 4.9 magnitude aftershock struck the same area at 10:53 p.m., followed by a 5.1 magnitude aftershock at 11:52 p.m.

Earthquakes in this area are common, but are most often weaker than the 5.3 magnitude that struck Thursday night. The Pacific plate of the Earth's crust meets up with the North American plate in this area. As these two plates clash, energy is released in the form of earthquakes.