LOS ANGELES - A 4.7-MAGNITUDE earthquake shook central California on Saturday, less than a week after a pair of similar temblors rattled the highly populated southern part of the state.

The United States Geological Survey said Saturday's quake struck at 2258 GMT at a depth of just 0.1 kilometres, and occurred some 11 kilometres from the town of Keeler, and 320 kilometres north of Los Angeles.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or major damage.

The reading was based on the open-ended Moment Magnitude scale, now used by US seismologists, which measures the area of the fault that ruptured and the total energy released.

A 4.1-magnitude tremor rattled Los Angeles last Tuesday, two days after another 4.7 earthquake that struck the densely populated area and put the sprawling California metropolis on edge.

Geologists say an earthquake capable of causing widespread destruction is 99 percent certain of hitting California within the next 30 years. -- AFP