A magnitude 4.6 earthquake that struck northwest of Malibu caused shaking to be felt across a wide area of Southern California from the coast to the interior early Friday afternoon.
The quake was reported just before 2 p.m. in the Santa Monica Mountains, about 7 miles northwest of Malibu. More than a dozen aftershocks were reported to have occurred in the same area within an hour, with the largest being a magnitude 3.0 and a magnitude 2.7.
“We continue to see very strong aftershocks,” seismologist Dr Lucy Jones said, adding that the possibility that the quake was a foreshock of a larger seismic event quickly fades over time.
sway It was reported throughout the greater Los Angeles area and by perhaps as many as 12 million people. The quake was felt from the coast of Los Angeles, Orange and Ventura counties, including the South Bay and Long Beach, to inland areas including the San Fernando Valley, downtown Los Angeles, Riverside, Irvine and Anaheim.
Weak to mild shaking was also felt in parts of northern San Diego County.
Marla Daley was working at a dental office in Thousand Oaks when she felt a tremor.
Seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones talks about the earthquake that shook Malibu, Southern California, and the surrounding area on Friday, February 9, 2024.
“It was a big shock,” Daly said. “We all understood what was going on. The patient was fine and continued with the dental work. I'm always a little nervous.”
There were no immediate reports of serious damage.of Los Angeles Fire Department was conducting a damage survey, which is standard procedure after larger earthquakes.
The US National Tsunami Warning Center reported that no tsunami was triggered.
Although there is a series of earthquake faults in the area, Jones said the quake likely occurred on the Malibu Coastal Fault, which runs along the coastline of the Santa Monica Mountains. This fault is located near the communities of Pacific Palisades, Westwood, Beverly Hills, and Santa Monica.The eastern end is bordered by the Santa Monica Fault.
The quake occurred on the same day as the deadly 1971 magnitude 6.5 San Fernando earthquake. The historic earthquake killed dozens of people, caused more than $500 million in property damage, and raised concerns about the possibility of a catastrophic dam failure. The epicenter was in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains north of Los Angeles, but the shaking was felt across a wide swath of the San Fernando Valley.
Also on Friday, a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck Hawaii Island and shook the island of Oahu, about 320 miles away, which includes Honolulu. That quake was not associated with seismic activity in Southern California.