A strong earthquake has just struck near the California and Nevada border, followed by several smaller ones, while quakes also rumbled in the Alaska Panhandle near Northern B.C. and the Yukon.

The California temblor hit at 3:49 p.m. this afternoon (July 8).

Based on preliminary measurements, the U.S. Geological Survey initially reported it as a 6.2-magnitude quake before it was reassessed as 5.9-magnitude.

At a depth of nine kilometres (six miles), the epicentre was positioned two kilometres (one mile) northwest of Walker, California; 46 kilometres (28 miles) southeast of Gardnerville Ranchos, Nevada; 62 kilometres (39 miles) southeast of South Lake Tahoe, California; and 75 kilometres (46 miles) southeast of Carson City, Nevada.

A cluster of quakes that have ranged from 2.7- to 3.7-magnitude followed in the same area, and a 4.2-magnitude quake occurred at 3:59 p.m. as well as a 4.6-magnitude temblor at 4:33 p.m.

Earlier this afternoon, a quake struck the Alaska Panhandle region near the B.C. and Yukon borders.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, it struck at 1:40 p.m. and was originally reported as a 4.6-magnitude quake before being reassessed as 4.4-magnitude.

The epicentre, at a depth of 12 kilometres (seven miles), was located 20 kilometres (13 miles) south of Klukwan, Alaska; 136 kilometres (84 miles) northwest of Juneau, Alaska; and 173.5 km (108 miles) southwest of Whitehorse, Yukon.

A number of smaller quakes also occurred in the area, ranging from 2.5- to 3.6-magnitude.