Magnitude 3.8 quake rattles Oakland and spreads across the Bay Area

At 8:30 a.m. Thursday, a quake centered just north of the Oakland Zoo registered magnitude 3.8, after earlier estimates of 4.1 and 3.9 were adjusted by the U.S. Geological Survey. Light shaking, enough to rattle dishes and windows, was reported in Oakland, San Leandro and Alameda, while weaker tremors were felt in San Francisco, San Mateo, Berkeley, San José, Santa Cruz and San Rafael. KTVU-TV Channel 2 anchors described the studio shaking and a brief feeling of dizziness during a live broadcast.

The Bay Area Rapid Transit system reduced train speeds to conduct inspections, advising passengers of about a 20-minute delay. The epicenter lay near the Hayward fault, a major regional fault that carries a significant probability of a larger quake in coming decades, according to USGS forecasts.