The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake struck around 4:03 a.m. about 35 miles outside Tonopah, east of the Sierra Nevada range and roughly three hours from Las Vegas.
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The USGS also reported several aftershocks in the western Nevada area, including a 5.1 temblor and several others measuring between 4.0 and 5.0.
The quake struck with 30 million pounds of explosive energy at a depth of about 4.7 miles in an area of hard earth -- which created conditions for it to be felt hundreds of miles away in the Bay Area. Temblors of this strength only happen about 120 times a year.
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People in California and Salt Lake City, Utah tweeted that they felt the quake.
It's unclear if the quake caused any damage or if anyone was injured.
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