Latest news with #SouthernCaliforniaEarthquakeDataCenter
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Where was the earthquake in California?
A magnitude-5.2 earthquake occurred about 2.5 miles south Julian, California, at 10:08 a.m. April 14, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Noticeable shaking could be felt across the Southern California desert, marking one of the most intense quakes in recent memory. There were several aftershocks. Julian, a community of about 2,000 residents, is located west of Anza Borrego State Park, about two hours south of Palm Springs or an hour east of San Diego in the Cuyamaca Mountains. The Elsinore Fault Zone, a major fault line in Southern California and part of the San Andreas Fault system, is in this area. It is one of the largest in southern California and, according to the Southern California Earthquake Data Center, has historically been one of the quietest. The last earthquake in this area greater than 5.2, according to the center, was a magnitude-6 earthquake in 1910. This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: The earthquake on April 14, 2025, was near Julian, California.
Yahoo
09-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Malibu has become an earthquake hotbed as the L.A. region sees an uptick in moderate temblors
Sunday's magnitude 4.1 earthquake near Malibu is part of a larger seismic pattern being seen in Southern California. The region has been experiencing a number of moderate earthquakes since 2024. In all of 2024, Southern California experienced 15 seismic sequences with at least one magnitude-4 or higher earthquake, according to a count by seismologist Lucy Jones, a Caltech research associate. That's the highest annual total in the last 65 years, surpassing the 13 seen in 1988. Sunday's earthquake was the first magnitude 4 earthquake for Southern California so far in 2025, Jones said Sunday. The Malibu area has seen three quakes larger than magnitude 4 in the last 13 months. Experts have cautioned for months that the latest quakes don't provide any additional clarity on the timing of Southern California's next devastating earthquake. Read more: 4.1 earthquake felt across Southern California, centered near Malibu "Seismologists have spent decades trying to read the tea leaves to look for patterns." said Susan Hough, a seismologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, a few months ago. "The seismic network was installed in Southern California 100 years ago," she said, "because scientists thought that small earthquakes would show patterns before the big earthquakes happened. And that just didn't work out.' One thing has been clear, she said: 'Nobody has found patterns that are statistically meaningful before big earthquakes happen." The recent spate of quakes, however, should reinforce the threat posed by the state's notoriously active seismic landscape, experts say, and serve as a reminder of just how many Californians live in a danger zone. The summer's Eastside L.A earthquakes, for instance, were centered on faults associated with the Puente Hills thrust fault system, which is underneath downtown L.A. and swaths of southeast L.A. County, the San Gabriel Valley and northern Orange County. Read more: L.A.'s quake mystery: 2024 brings the most seismic activity in decades. Why now? Areas close to Malibu have had stronger earthquakes in the past. On Jan. 18, 1989, a magnitude 5 earthquake occurred eight miles southeast of Malibu Point, underneath Santa Monica Bay. Several people were injured, items fell off shelves in stores, and some windows were broken, according to the Southern California Earthquake Data Center. On New Year's Day in 1979, a magnitude 5.2 quake hit about eight miles south of Malibu Point, notable because it struck during the Rose Bowl game between USC and Michigan. 'Some of the fans in the stadium were alarmed by the shaking, but the game continued,' the data center said. Malibu — The Malibu area has been a hot spot. There was a magnitude 4.6 earthquake exactly 13 months ago — on Feb. 9, 2024 — strong enough to toss items off a counter. There was also a magnitude 4.7 on Sept. 12 — startling enough that the city's mayor and his wife dove under their kitchen table. Ontario — A magnitude 4 earthquake struck before dawn on Oct. 6 near Ontario International Airport. Just in Ontario, one of the most populous cities in San Bernardino County, there had been five earthquakes of magnitude 3 or larger over the month preceding the Oct. 6 earthquake. The Eastside — Eastside L.A. was rattled by a magnitude 4.4 earthquake centered in El Sereno on Aug. 12 and a magnitude 3.4 on June 2. Kern County — A magnitude 5.2 earthquake, the strongest to strike the region in three years, shook Southern California on Aug. 6, with an epicenter northwest of the Grapevine. Another widely felt quake, magnitude 4.9, struck on July 29 about 13 miles northeast of Barstow. Sunday's quake was felt across the region, but there were no reports of damage. Read more: Unshaken: The complete L.A. Times newsletter guide to earthquake readiness and resilience This matches the experience last year. The quakes in 2024 rattled the region, but damage was decidedly modest, such as items knocked off shelves, because they were relatively small temblors. Check out Unshaken, our guide to preparing for earthquakes and understanding seismology. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
