Quake Rattles California Desert

A magnitude 5.5 earthquake centered in the sprawling China Lake Naval Weapons Center on Wednesday hit a California desert area 10 miles north of the town of Ridgecrest, and was a little stronger than a magnitude 5.4 temblor in the same area Aug. 17, seismologists reported.

The quake, felt as a rolling motion in Los Angeles, Riverside and as far south as San Diego, at 4:27 p.m., was the strongest jolt recorded in California this year.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.