A magnitude-4.6 earthquake struck northwest of Malibu, causing widespread shaking across Southern California on Friday afternoon.
The quake occurred just before 2 p.m., about 7 miles northwest of Malibu in the Santa Monica Mountains. Following the initial quake, more than a dozen aftershocks, including ones of magnitudes 3.0 and 2.7, were reported within an hour in the same area.
Seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones noted that there was a significant aftershock sequence but mentioned that the likelihood of the quake being a foreshock to a larger event diminishes over time.
Reports of shaking came from various parts of the greater Los Angeles area, potentially affecting up to 12 million people. The quake was felt from the coasts of LA, Orange, and Ventura counties, including areas like the South Bay, Long Beach, and inland regions such as the San Fernando Valley, downtown LA, Riverside, Irvine, and Anaheim. Some weak to light shaking was also felt in parts of north San Diego County.
Marla Dailey, who was working in a Thousand Oaks dental office during the quake, described it as a major jolt but mentioned that everyone remained calm and continued with their tasks.
So far, there have been no immediate reports of significant damage. However, the Los Angeles Fire Department initiated a damage survey, which is standard procedure after an earthquake of greater magnitude.
The U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center confirmed that no tsunami was triggered by the earthquake.
Dr. Jones speculated that the quake might have occurred on the Malibu Coast Fault, which runs along the coastline in the Santa Monica Mountains, near communities such as Pacific Palisades, Westwood, Beverly Hills, and Santa Monica. Its eastern end connects with the Santa Monica Fault.
Coincidentally, the earthquake struck on the same date as the deadly magnitude-6.5 San Fernando earthquake in 1971. This historic quake resulted in numerous casualties, over $500 million in property damage, and raised concerns about potential dam collapses. It originated in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains north of Los Angeles but was felt across a large part of the San Fernando Valley.
Additionally, on the same day, a magnitude-5.7 earthquake on Hawaii's Big Island caused shaking as far as 200 miles away on Oahu, including in Honolulu. However, this quake was not related to the seismic activity in Southern California.