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A magnitude 4.7 earthquake struck just north of Malibu on Thursday morning, shaking Southern California. The quake occurred at 7:28 a.m. and was followed by a magnitude 3.4 aftershock about an hour later.
While the quake was widely felt across the region, significant damage is not anticipated. At least three aftershocks in the magnitude 2 range were reported, with the largest at 8:40 a.m. measuring 3.4.
According to seismologist Lucy Jones from Caltech, the earthquake's epicenter was near the Malibu fault, with a 40% probability of being associated with it, and a 46% chance linked to the Anacapa fault. Such earthquakes typically rupture only small sections of fault lines, sometimes just a few hundred yards in length, and can occur on minor faults not mapped on the Earth's surface.
The quake caused "light" shaking in Malibu, Thousand Oaks, Agoura Hills, and Calabasas, disturbing dishes, windows, and doors, and creating minor cracks in walls. In Thousand Oaks, the shaking was brief, lasting only a few seconds.
"Weak" shaking was felt more broadly across the Los Angeles metropolitan area, including downtown L.A., Santa Monica, Long Beach, and various valleys and counties. Reports indicated that shaking was also felt as far away as San Diego and Bakersfield.
Residents along the L.A. County coast experienced notable shaking, with some in Redondo Beach and Long Beach feeling the tremors for up to 10 seconds. An apartment building near LAX in El Segundo also experienced noticeable shaking.
Despite the increased frequency of earthquakes in Southern California this year, experts caution that it is too early to determine if this uptick signifies an imminent larger earthquake. Over the past 65 years, there have been between eight and ten sequences of magnitude 4 or greater earthquakes annually. Thursday's quake was the 14th of such magnitude this year.
Another earthquake of similar magnitude occurred in the Malibu area on February 9, 2024. Thursday's quake exhibited a horizontal, side-to-side motion, known as "strike-slip motion," contrasting with the upward motions observed in some other quakes in the region.
The state's earthquake early warning system alerted some residents seconds before the shaking began. The MyShake app, available on iOS and Google Play, provides similar alerts.
Following the earthquake, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced that the city's fire department was conducting routine damage surveys. No significant damage has been reported, according to Margaret Stewart, a fire department spokesperson. Ventura County has also reported no damage or infrastructure impacts.
The quake’s epicenter was located in the Malibu hills off Kanan-Dume Road around Ramirez Canyon.
Times staff writers Luke Money, Iliana Limon Romero, Ruben Vives, Richard Winton, Jon Healey, and Steve Henson contributed to this report.
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About the Reporters
Rong-Gong Lin II
Metro reporter based in San Francisco, specializing in statewide earthquake safety and COVID-19 coverage. UC Berkeley graduate, joined the Los Angeles Times in 2004.
Karen Garcia
Reporter on the Fast Break Desk, focusing on breaking news. Formerly with the Utility Journalism Team and previous reporting experience at San Luis Obispo New Times and KCBX Central Coast Public Radio.
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