A 4.1-magnitude earthquake shook Malibu, the San Fernando Valley and other parts of Southern California on Sunday afternoon.
The quake struck at 1:03 p.m., 6.9 miles southwest of Westlake Village, 7.1 miles south, southwest of Thousand Oaks and 7.7 miles west, northwest of Malibu, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Lucy Jones, a seismologist at the California Institute of Technology, said the quake was part of a series of recent temblors that broke out in the Malibu area. Across the state in 2024, there were a record 15 magnitude 4 or more earthquakes across the state, and two of them erupted in Malibu, Jones said.
“It seems to be a spot that’s popping off right now,” she said.
The Malibu earthquake system is capable of larger quakes, and it contains one of the hundreds of faults across the state capable of earthquakes in the 6 magnitude range. However, a series of earthquakes in one area doesn’t help experts make predictions of whether there will be more or stronger temblors.
“It’s a much less definitive pattern than most people want us to have,” Jones said.
The temblor was at a depth of about 7.2 miles. It was followed by a series of aftershocks in the same general area, estimated at magnitudes of 2.5, 3.0 and 2.8, the USGS reported.
The quake was felt in Torrance, the San Gabriel Valley and elsewhere, with weak shaking also felt as far away as Redlands and Orange County, according to the agency’s updated map.
No immediate reports of any injuries or damage were available.
A preliminary USGS alert had pegged the magnitude at 4.2.
