A moderate earthquake measuring 5.2 on the Richter scale struck Eureka, a coastal city in northern California, on Tuesday but there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

The quake, which occurred at 8:03 p.m. (0303 GMT on Wednesday), was centered at an area 56 km east of Eureka, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said.

The temblor was felt across the region from the Pacific Ocean to near the Oregon border, according to the USGS.

There were no immediate reports of damage, the Eureka Police Department said.

About 10,000 people living in the area felt light or moderate shaking, the USGS said.

Hundreds of quakes have rattled Reno, a city in northern California, in the past two months. The strongest of those measured 4.7 magnitudes Friday night.

Scientists called the swarm of temblors beginning on Feb. 28 as the "Mogul earthquake sequence," referring to a neighboring area where hundreds of minor earthquakes have occurred.

(Xinhua News Agency April 30, 2008)