Earthquake Strikes Northwest of Malibu in Santa Monica Mountains: Here’s All You Need to Know

A magnitude-4.6 earthquake rattled Southern California on Friday, sending tremors from the coast to inland areas, causing widespread shaking and stirring memories of past seismic events.

The quake and aftershocks

The quake struck just before 2 p.m., about 7 miles northwest of Malibu in the Santa Monica Mountains. Following the initial tremor, more than a dozen aftershocks, including ones measuring magnitudes of 3.0 and 2.7, were reported within an hour in the same vicinity.

Seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones described the aftershock sequence as "robust," but reassured that the likelihood of a larger seismic event diminishes over time.

Impact and response

Shaking was felt across the greater Los Angeles area, potentially affecting as many as 12 million people. Reports of tremors came from coastal regions like LA, Orange, and Ventura counties, stretching inland to areas such as the San Fernando Valley, downtown LA, Riverside, Irvine, and Anaheim. Even parts of north San Diego County experienced weak to light shaking.

Despite the intensity of the quake, there were no immediate reports of significant damage. Standard procedure was followed, with the Los Angeles Fire Department conducting a damage survey to assess any potential impacts.