Magnitude-4.6 Earthquake Rattles Southern California, Triggering Widespread Shaking

^{Image Source: Los Angeles Times}

A seismic event measuring magnitude 4.6 struck northwest of Malibu, triggering widespread shaking across Southern California early Friday afternoon. The quake, which occurred just before 2 p.m., originated approximately 7 miles northwest of Malibu within the Santa Monica Mountains. Following the initial tremor, over a dozen aftershocks were reported in the same vicinity, the most notable registering magnitudes of 3.0 and 2.7 within an hour.

Seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones noted the robust aftershock sequence but indicated that the likelihood of the quake being a precursor to a larger seismic event decreases over time.

Reports of shaking poured in from various areas, encompassing the greater Los Angeles region and extending inland to places like the San Fernando Valley, downtown LA, Riverside, Irvine, and Anaheim. Coastal regions of LA, Orange, and Ventura counties, including South Bay and Long Beach, were also affected, with some weak to light shaking felt in parts of north San Diego County.

Marla Dailey, who was at work in a Thousand Oaks dental office during the quake, described it as a significant jolt but noted that operations continued without major interruption.

Fortunately, there were no immediate reports of significant damage, although the Los Angeles Fire Department initiated a standard damage survey procedure.

The U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center confirmed that the quake did not trigger a tsunami.

Although the area is known for its network of earthquake faults, the specific fault responsible for this event is suspected to be the Malibu Coast Fault, which traverses the coastline within the Santa Monica Mountains, near communities such as Pacific Palisades, Westwood, Beverly Hills, and Santa Monica.

The timing of this earthquake coincides with the anniversary of the deadly 1971 San Fernando earthquake, which had a magnitude of 6.5. While the historic quake caused considerable casualties and property damage, no such dire consequences were reported from Friday’s event.

In a separate incident, a magnitude-5.7 earthquake struck Hawaii’s Big Island, causing shaking as far as 200 miles away on Oahu, including in Honolulu. However, this event was unrelated to the seismic activity experienced in Southern California.