A preliminary magnitude 2.9 earthquake struck near South Pasadena, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The epicenter of the earthquake was recorded 2 miles southwest of South Pasadena. It is not yet known whether there have been any reports of injuries or damage.
A similar earthquake shook nearby Highland Park during the summer this year. A larger earthquake, with a magnitude of 4.4, shook the same area in August, with several other Los Angeles County neighborhoods feeling the effects. tremor.
Scientists called 2024 the most seismically active year since 1988, after the earthquakes at the end of the summer.
As of mid-August, the region had thirteen earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 or greater this year. Normally Southern California on average between 10 and 12 tremors of that magnitude per year.
“We see an ongoing process of earthquakes happening along this fault line,” said geophysicist Dr. Lucy Jones.
Jones, a renowned researcher at the California Institute of Technology, said the recent earthquake near South Pasadena occurred along the Puente Hills thrust fault system, which runs from the Puente Hills above Whittier to Pasadena and downtown Los Angeles. It has the potential to cause great damage.
“They are considered the set of faults that are likely to cause the most damage of any earthquake in SoCal because of their location,” Jones said. “Because they walk under old structures and densely populated areas.”
Jones added that earthquakes here could be five to 10 times more destructive than earthquakes along the San Andreas Fault. In fact, the 1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake occurred along the Puente Hills thrust fault system. The magnitude 5.9 quake killed eight people and damaged thousands of buildings.
