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A magnitude 3.9 earthquake struck near Ridgecrest and Trona Wednesday morning and rattled the Mojave Desert area, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The quake struck at 11:26 a.m. at a depth of 5.7 miles, centered about 11 miles north of Trona and Searles Valley and 15 miles west of Ridgecrest, USGS said.

The epicenters of quakes that have struck in the Mojave Desert area over the past three weeks. (Credit: USGS)
The epicenters of quakes that have struck in the Mojave Desert area over the past three weeks. (Credit: USGS)

There have been two earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered in the area in the past 10 days, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The Mojave Desert was struck by a powerful 6.4 earthquake near Ridgecrest on the Fourth of July and it prompted officials to declare a state of emergency.

Less than two days later, the region was hit by a more powerful 7.1 magnitude quake that destroyed dozens of homes in the Trona area and left many without power.

The shaking was so powerful that it cracked a large fissure in the desert ground.

The jolt was followed by more than 100,000 aftershocks.

Experts said the aftershocks have been creeping into areas of two major fault lines capable of producing new earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 or greater.

No damage or injuries have been reported from Wednesday’s temblor.