Residents across a large swath of the Los Angeles area were startled Saturday afternoon by a preliminary magnitude 3.0 earthquake, with the epicenter roughly three miles from Malibu, as reported by NBC Los Angeles. The United States Geological Survey confirmed that the tremor struck at 2:15 p.m. at a depth of about six miles, and was felt in various parts including Long Beach, the South Bay, and other parts of Los Angeles.
Despite the nerve-wracking rumble, there have been no reports of injuries or structural damage, likely because the earthquake’s magnitude was relatively low. This quake follows close on the heels of a series of seismic activities in the region, including a 4.7 magnitude tremor that occurred just less than two weeks prior, producing shakes felt up to 60 miles away, as reported by ABC7. The same area witnessed a 3.6-magnitude quake shortly after.
California is a region accustomed to the quiver of the Earth underfoot, as data from the U.S. Geological Survey notes that thousands of earthquakes are recorded each year, mostly minor. Moreover, KTLA 5 News observes that several hundred reach a magnitude of 3.0, but only about 15 to 20 surpass 4.0 in the state. Alaska, however, sees more seismic activity per year than California in North America…