A magnitude 3.2 earthquake struck off the coast of Malibu on Saturday afternoon, the latest temblor this month to rumble along the Southern California coast. #MalibuEarthquake
Saturday’s earthquake marked the seventh event of magnitude 3 or greater since September 12. On that day, a magnitude 4.7 quake occurred just north of Malibu. This powerful tremor briefly unsettled news anchors at KTTV-TV and KABC-TV during live broadcasts.
In contrast to most Malibu-area quakes since September 12, Saturday’s quake occurred offshore. It struck about 6 miles southwest of Point Dume.
Only “weak” shaking was felt in parts of Malibu on Saturday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, as defined by the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale. “Weak” shaking is generally defined as either being felt only by a few people at rest, or felt quite noticeably by people indoors.
Before Saturday, the last earthquake in this area of magnitude 3 or greater was almost exactly a week ago — a magnitude 3.1 earthquake just north of Malibu, which hit on Sept. 21 at 2:15 p.m.
This has been an unusually active year for moderate earthquakes in Southern California. The Sept. 12 earthquake north of Malibu was part of the 14th seismic sequence this year in Southern California with at least one magnitude 4 or higher earthquake, seismologist Lucy Jones, a Caltech research associate, said earlier this month.
That broke a record for the last 65 years. Over that time period, Jones said, there was an average of eight to 10 independent sequences of earthquakes annually that included at least one temblor of magnitude 4 or greater.
The observation is not necessarily an indication that a large, damaging earthquake is around the corner, scientists said. There have been dueling theories, with one being that earthquake activity increases in a region before a large earthquake, while another says seismic activity decreases before a large jolt. #MalibuEarthquake
Malibu Earthquake: A Reminder of Seismic Vulnerability and Preparedness for Residents
Additionally, residents in Malibu felt the tremors, causing brief moments of concern. Although this earthquake was minor, it serves as a reminder of the region’s vulnerability to larger seismic events. Many locals recall past earthquakes that resulted in significant damage.
read more
