4.7 Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Los Angeles, Malibu Hardest Hit
A 4.7-magnitude earthquake rattled the Los Angeles area Thursday morning, sending a rockslide in Malibu and shaking the iconic Santa Monica Pier. No immediate reports of significant damage or major injury were filed. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the earthquake occurred with its epicenter 4 miles north of Malibu and at approximately 7 miles in depth.
It could be felt as far away as 45 miles in Orange County, where residents said household items moved. A number of smaller aftershocks followed the initial quake. Authorities began surveying the region for any damage but saw no significant impact.
Seismologist Lucy Jones with the California Institute of Technology said the quake occurred near both the Malibu and Anacapa faults. However, she mentioned that earthquakes under magnitude 5.0 are generally too small to definitively relate to larger surface faults. "It's just another garden-variety Southern California earthquake," Jones said.
At the 115-year-old Santa Monica Pier - about 12 miles from Malibu - live camera footage captured several seconds of strong shaking. News stations on the air when the quake occurred showed their studio cameras shaking.
In Malibu, KTLA-TV reported that crews were working to clear boulders that had tumbled onto Malibu Canyon Road near the epicenter. Malibu Councilmember Bruce Silverstein, a 13-year resident, described the quake as the strongest he's felt, though nothing was damaged. "Our house shook for about two or three seconds. I thought the windows might shatter," Silverstein said.
"It wasn't that bad," said Rene Vasquez, manager of the Country Kitchen in Malibu. "Thank God nothing fell." Several celebrities took to social media to express their reactions to the quake. Paris Hilton tweeted, "That #Earthquake was scary." Khloe Kardashian tweeted, "Damn that was a big one."
An earthquake early warning system for the state sent alerts to some people. The earthquake struck as the region was dealing with three large wildfires east of Los Angeles that destroyed homes and forced thousands of people to evacuate. Those fires have been joined by a heatwave that only recently somewhat relaxed.
In recent months, Southern California has been hit by several earthquakes. A 4.4-magnitude quake in August shook the region between Los Angeles and San Diego, sending items tumbling off store shelves and triggering car alarms. When that temblor hit, a pipe burst at Pasadena City Hall.
Another quake that was felt earlier this year, in February, was of a 4.6 magnitude occurrence in Malibu just south of Thursday's event. The newest quake makes the 14th magnitude 4.0 or greater earthquake sequence in Southern California this year, which exceeds the average of 8 to 10 earthquakes per year on average over recent decades. According to Lucy Jones
