2 small earthquakes hit eastern Kentucky

Dec. 23 (UPI) -- Two small earthquakes hit eastern Kentucky before dawn Thursday morning, but there were no early reports of injuries or structural damage, officials said.

The first was a 2.3-magnitude earthquake with the epicenter located about 10 miles northeast of Jackson.

The second, a 2.5-magnitude tremor, happened nearly two hours later next to Pikesville.

"Earthquakes this size can happen basically anywhere in the U.S.," Paul Barle, a seismologist with United States Geological Survey, told the Louisville Courier-Journal. "These are small earthquakes. For earthquakes this size, you have to be pretty close to be felt."

Barle said while there is a chance the smaller earthquakes could trigger more movement, there was no guarantee that would happen.