EL SALVADOR (CBS SF) — An earthquake registering a preliminary magnitude of 7.4 struck off the coast of El Salvador Monday evening near La Union, according to the U.S. Geological Survey’s automated seismograph alert network.

The quake struck at an estimated depth of 70 KM below the earth’s surface. Deeper quakes are less noticeable while a shallow quake–in the 0 to 40 mile depth range–can feel much stronger than their actual reported magnitude. Quakes just below the earth’s surface, in the 0 to 10 miles range, can cause even more damage at lower magnitudes.

No tsunami threat was expected.

COMPLETE QUAKE COVERAGE: CBS Earthquake Resource Center

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Strong earthquakes with an epicenter off the coast can trigger tsunamis, depending on the size and type of the fault movement. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center tracks earthquake data for the West Coast.

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