A magnitude 3 earthquake struck just north of Malibu Saturday afternoon, the latest in a series of tremors reported over the past week and a half.
The latest earthquake occurred at 2:15 p.m. Saturday, with an epicenter along Kanan Dume Road, about 3.6 miles north of Point Dume.
Saturday’s event was the sixth earthquake of magnitude 3 or greater since a 4.7-magnitude quake in the same area was widely felt in Southern California on Sept. 12.
Only “weak” shaking was felt in the area closest to Saturday’s epicenter, which included Zuma Beach and Point Dume State Beach in Malibu, according to the modified Mercalli intensity scale, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The shaking was so weak that many people wouldn’t recognize it as an earthquake. If it was, the vibrations felt could be similar to a truck passing by.
This year has been particularly active for moderate earthquakes in Southern California. The Sept. 12 quake north of Malibu was part of the 14th earthquake sequence this year in Southern California with at least one earthquake of magnitude 4 or greater, seismologist Lucy Jones, a research associate at Caltech, said earlier this month.
That record has been broken for the past 65 years. During that time, Jones said, there have been an average of eight to 10 independent earthquake sequences per year, including at least one of magnitude 4 or greater.
Some years there have been only one or two of these earthquake sequences; the highest number recorded so far was 13, in 1988.
This observation is not necessarily an indication that a large, destructive earthquake is imminent, the scientists said.
Some researchers have put forward conflicting theories: some claim that seismic activity increases in a region before a major earthquake, others claim that seismic activity decreases before a major shaking.
So the recent activity gives no indication of when the next large, destructive earthquake will occur, Susan Hough, a seismologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, said earlier this month.
Did you feel this earthquake? Think about it report what you felt to the USGS.
Are you ready for the Big One? Prepare for the next big earthquake by signing up for our Unshaken Newsletterthat breaks down emergency preparedness into bite-sized steps over six weeks. Learn about earthquake kits, the apps you need, Lucy Jones’ top tips, and more at latimes.com/Unshaken.
