A moderate earthquake centred near Bakersfield was felt across a wide swath of central and southern California, but there have been no reports of damages, injuries or other problems.
The US Geological Survey says the magnitude-4.8 earthquake struck near Wasco about 40 kilometres northwest of Bakersfield shortly after 4pm on Tuesday afternoon.
The USGS described the quake as light and said it came at a depth of 22.5km.
A dispatcher at the Kern County Sheriff's Office says the quake gave the office "a pretty good jolt" but there were no reports of damage or injuries.
People reported feeling the quake in several surrounding counties, including Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles, including areas out to the coast 240km away.
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It was followed by several minor aftershocks, the largest of which was magnitude 2.6.
The earthquake was about 240km south of one of the same size in the Sierra Nevada town of Big Pine a week earlier.
