Earthquake Swarm Rattles Ventura/LA Region

LOS ANGELES, CA — Nine earthquakes ranging from magnitude 2.5 to 3.6 rattled Ventura Friday, the second day of a disconcerting quake swarm rattling the region.

The latest quake, a magnitude 3.0 struck at 1:55 p.m. Friday. The quakes have been felt from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles and the Inland Empire. In all, more than 75 small quakes have hit the region since Thursday, but that doesn't mean Southern California is in for a big quake as a result, said Caltech Seismologist Jenny Andrews.

"We don't think this is leading up to anything bigger," said Andrews. "We see swarms pretty much everywhere across Southern California. Swarms like this aren't unusual."

According to Andrews, only about 5 percent of notable quakes are preceded by foreshocks.

"So far we don't see anything the local public should be worried about," Andrews added.

The first quake of the swarm, a magnitude 3.4 quake, struck at 4 a.m. A 3.6 magnitude quake was the largest, and it hit at 5:29 a.m. Friday, rattling many out of bed.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries as a result of the quakes. Seismologists and state officials are monitoring the quake activity.

According to seismologist Lucy Jones, the swarm could be attributed to a tear fault, of which there are many in the region. The closest fault is the Ventura Fault.

"One interpretation is that this is occurring on an unmapped NNW striking tear fault in the upper block of the Ventura fault," she tweeted.

"Today's Ventura activity is an earthquake swarm. That means no one quake is so much bigger than the others that it can be called the mainshock," Jones tweeted. "Swarms are common. Similar ones in Ventura in 1984 & 2015. Swarms are NOT more likely to be followed by a big quake."

SEE ALSO:

• 5 Things Most People Don't Know About Earthquakes
• Are You Living on a Fault Line?

• 'Locked, Loaded and Ready to Roll:' San Andreas Is Overdue
• Northridge Quake 25 Years Later: What We Did And Didn't Learn
• Earthquake Preparedness: Must-Have List
• Earthquake Preparedness For CA Pet Owners

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