Dozens of earthquakes hit Southern California Tuesday night, following a worrying 5.2 magnitude quake that rattled much of the San Joaquin Valley.
California has seen an increasing amount of earthquakes in recent years, which has caused some concern among residents.
A 5.2 Earthquake in Southern California
On Tuesday night, just as many were ready to turn in for the night, a sudden 5.2 magnitude earthquake hit Southern California. This quake hit around 9:09 p.m. PST.
The quake was centered in Lamont, California, which is about 21 miles from Bakersfield.
Dozens of Aftershocks
However, that wasn’t the only earthquake seen that evening. Officials have officially confirmed that dozens of aftershocks from this initial quake occurred.
These aftershocks ranged from 2.5 to 4.5 magnitude quakes.
57 Earthquakes in Southern California
Now that these aftershocks have seemingly subsided, the U.S. Geological Survey revealed that at least 57 earthquakes occurred in Southern California on Tuesday evening.
Most — if not all — of these quakes were small aftershocks. However, this event still managed to put some Californians on edge.
California’s Latest Quake
This 5.2 magnitude earthquake was the latest quake to hit California. Though it centered in Lamont, it was reportedly felt far and wide.
Residents in Los Angeles, which is about 104 miles southeast of Lamont, reported feeling this notable quake on Tuesday night.
Other Recent Earthquakes
Recently, there have been a few earthquakes seen throughout different parts of Southern California.
A Salton Sea 3.3 quake was felt in various parts of Southern California. Meanwhile, a 4.9 magnitude earthquake centered around Barstow was also felt in multiple regions.
The White Wolf Fault
Dr. Lucy Jones, a known seismologist, explained on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Tuesday night that this recent earthquake’s epicenter was close to the White Wolf fault.
The White Wolf fault is the fault responsible for the huge 1952 quake. However, Jones clarified that it doesn’t appear that the fault actually caused this most recent earthquake.
Californians Share Concerns
California has a long history of earthquakes, though some residents feel that they’ve been experiencing more quakes recently than before. Others disagree.
This latest 5.2 magnitude quake has already caused some concern, especially because of the many aftershocks felt.
A Huge Earthquake Is on the Way?
Many Californians have long worried about a potentially enormous quake that could bring much destruction and tragedy to the Golden State — especially because the state has seen these types of quakes before.
However, many seismologists have come out to clarify that this latest quake doesn’t necessarily bode bad news.
Analyzing SoCal Quakes
Jones also took to X to further calm any worries about this latest Southern California earthquake. To do so, she looked at data.
She wrote, “Like any quake in SoCal, there is a 5% chance that it will be followed by something bigger. That means a 95% chance that this is the largest. We have never found any characteristic that makes a quake more likely to be a foreshock.”
New Emergency Warnings
Many Californians in this region received an emergency alert on their cell phones just a few seconds before the earthquake was felt.
These new emergency systems are designed to potentially help — and warn — residents when seismic activity is occurring.
California’s Last “Big” Earthquake
California’s last significant earthquake, which is any dangerous quake or a quake with a 6.5 magnitude or higher, occurred near Ferndale in the Pacific Ocean back in 2022.
This 6.4 magnitude earthquake occurred in December in the morning and resulted in damaged property, roads, and two deaths.
Why Is California Such an Earthquake Hotspot?
The primary reason for the seeming frequency and severity of earthquakes in the Golden State is its location near the movement of tectonic plates.
According to the California Earthquake Authority (CEA), there are over 500 active faults in California, as well as 15,700 known faults.
Risk to Residents
Stats from the CEA show that most residents of California live within 30 miles of an active earthquake fault line, well in the range of it affecting them.
Depending on the magnitude of the quake, intense shaking can easily be felt from a great distance away. An intense 1999 7.1 magnitude earthquake in California was reportedly felt as far as 300 miles away, though the strongest shaking was near the epicenter.
Big Quakes Rarer
High magnitude 6 and 7 quakes are much rarer than the ones recently experienced by Californians, but the potential for them to happen is always there.
The CEA estimates California has a greater than 99% chance of experiencing a magnitude 6.7 earthquake or greater by 2044.
Earthquake Alerts
Current Califonia Governor Gavin Newsom has been looking ahead to try to mitigate the impacts of inevitable earthquakes on state residents.
In 2019, Newsom announced the creation of an early warning app that was the first of its kind in the country, which the governor recently praised for helping protect Californians in the August 6 quake.
Thanking Early Warnings
In a statement published by the governor’s office on Wednesday, Newsom extolled the virtues of his leadership in the state around earthquake protection that helped warn residents before the 5.2 magnitude earthquake could be felt.
“Continuing to lead the country in emergency management and disaster preparedness, California’s first-in-the-nation Earthquake Early Warning System—launched under Governor Gavin Newsom’s leadership—provided advance notification to millions of Californians. This alert came ahead of the 5.2 magnitude earthquake’s shaking that was felt late last night throughout Central and Southern California,” said the governor’s office statement.
MyShake App
The app, called “MyShake,” was credited with sending out hundreds of thousands of alerts to residents to warn them to take necessary precautions.
“Phones in the affected areas received notifications thanks to the state’s MyShake app, which sent 517,354 alerts, and even more Californians received alerts thanks to the public-private partnership between the state and Google, which has integrated the alert software into their Android cell phone operating systems,” said the statement.
App Stats
According to the governor’s office, the MyShake app was highly sought after by residents, receiving nearly 50,000 new downloads in a 12-hour period.
The MyShake app, launched in 2019, now delivers earthquake alerts to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington.
Cutting Edge Technology
In the statement, Newsom bragged about his decision to invest in cutting-edge technology that benefits millions of Californians.
“Our investments in cutting edge, innovative technologies are paying off. Efforts like these have allowed us to gain vital seconds between when alerts arrive on Californians’ mobile phones and when the ground starts shaking. Californians, I encourage you to download the app, it can save lives!” said Newsom.
California in a Better Place
Director of California’s Office of Emergency Services Nancy Ward felt that this latest stress test on earthquake protection systems provided further proof that the state is in a much better place now than it has been in the past.
“The system performed Tuesday—giving Californians many seconds of advance warning” said Cal OES Director Nancy Ward. “This demonstrates that Californians are now more protected in the moments before the devastation of major earthquake hits.”
Automated Protection
In addition the the MyShake app, California has also implemented several automatic procedures in the event of an earthquake that eliminates the need for some human intervention.
“California is also using the technology to automate protective actions such as opening firehouse doors, recalling elevators, shutting off water and gas valves as well as closing bridges gates and notifying personnel in school and medical settings. Because of this capability, Metrolink’s train system automatically generated a notice that an earthquake had occurred,” the governor’s office statement said.
Reacting to the Quake
Users online posted their reactions to this week’s 5.2-magnitude earthquake, with some expressing surprise at how quickly the alerts got out.
“California just had [an] earthquake AND she said she got the alert BEFORE the earthquake ever happened,” said one X user in response to a TikTok video about the quake by Heather McDonald.
Ready For It
Others expressed confidence that they were ready for the earthquake thanks to the precautions put in place.
“I got a loud alert on my phone before the shaking started here in LA. I was ready for it,” said an X user. “Felt it in Santa Barbara. Shake app sounded off, then light shaking for 10-15 seconds,” said X user Darlene Cullington.
