4.3 Quake Near Hollister Causes No Injuries, Damage

A magnitude 4.3 earthquake centered seven miles southwest of Hollister in Central California shook an area near Monterey late Monday, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

Neither damage nor injuries occurred in the quake at 10:38 p.m. just off the San Andreas fault in a vicinity known for its frequent temblors.

Because quakes are more common there than in any other area of the San Andreas, stress is relieved on a regular basis and big damaging quakes are much less likely to occur, according to scientists.

The epicenter was more than 100 miles north of the coastal area where the magnitude 6.5 San Simeon earthquake that killed two women in Paso Robles took place Dec. 22.

There have been more than 4,000 aftershocks of the San Simeon quake.