Community Corner
Two Weekend Earthquakes Were Related
Sunday night's earthquake was an aftershock, seismologists say.
Two, small earthquakes that occurred near Marina del Rey and the Beach Cities over the weekend were related to each other, according to seismologists.
The first earthquake measured a magnitude-3.1 and occurred at 7:52 p.m. on Friday two miles south of Marina del Rey. The second occurred on Sunday night halfway between Marina del Rey and El Segundo and measured a magnitude-2.8. It was an aftershock, according to Anthony Guarino, a CalTech seismic analyst.
"It’s not uncommon to have aftershocks for any earthquake, but for such a small event, a magnitude 3.1 is fairly small to be having aftershocks," said Guarino. "It does happen, but it doesn’t happen that often.”
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No injuries were reported during either quake.
Given the small size of the earthquakes, Guarino said it makes it difficult to determine on what fault they occurred.
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"There are many faults in that area," Guarino said. "The most notorious is the Newport-Inglewood fault."
That fault stretches from Santa Monica to Newport Beach. Whatever the size of an earthquake, any activity is significant, according to Guarino.
"Any earthquake has an ability to be a foreshock for a larger earthquake," Guarino said. "As it gets further away in time, the likelihood gets less and less."
He said almost 24 hours after Sunday's aftershock, the likelihood is "negligible."
However, he stressed the importance of always being prepared.
"Use these earthquakes as a reminder that we’re going to have big earthquakes," Guarino said. "We will have a big earthquake at some time. That’s one thing that I can scientifically say with certainty."
Participating in earthquake drills and realizing the importance of getting under something sturdy, like a table or a desk as opposed to a doorframe, are important things to remember, according to Guarino. He also suggests learning more safety tips on the U.S. Geological Survey's website.
"Knowing what to do and being prepared is the best way to combat any fear that you have of earthquakes," Guarino said.
Do you know what to do when an earthquake strikes?
