(CNN)
Residents of Southern California are on high alert after a 7.1-magnitude earthquake rocked communities near the Mojave Desert on Friday, just one day after a 6.4-magnitude quake occurred in the same area.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) warned that another earthquake of a similar magnitude could strike within the next week, while aftershocks have occurred an average of once a minute since Friday night.
Those earthquakes occurred along a fault centered near Ridgecrest, California, but it reminded geologists of the looming danger of another major quake along the imposing San Andreas fault zone to the west, which could cause significantly more damage.
In light of this week's quakes, USGS researchers are reiterating their prediction that there's a 70% chance an earthquake of a magnitude of 6.7 or higher will strike the San Francisco Bay area along the San Andreas fault zone before 2030. Read more