by 4.3 magnitude earthquake shakes Los Angeles as “significant” vibration was felt throughout the city
- An earthquake measuring 4.3 on the Richter scale struck near the city of Trona, 120 miles north of Los Angeles
- The vibration occurred around 02:20 local time and was felt throughout the city center
- The quake was strong enough to activate the warning system, but no damage was reported.
- California and Nevada experience about 25 earthquakes of similar magnitude each year
A magnitude 4.3 earthquake shook Los Angeles today, with a strong tremor being felt throughout the city.
The quake struck near the city of Trona, about 120 miles north of Los Angeles, shortly after 2:20 p.m. on Thursday, according to data from the United States Geological Survey.
The vibration was felt throughout the city center and was strong enough to activate the state alarm system, which detects “significant” earthquakes.
A magnitude 4.3 earthquake shook California early Thursday, about 120 miles north of Los Angeles (highlighted in blue).
The closest town to Thursday’s quake was Ridgecrest, 14 miles west, although there were no immediate reports of injuries.
An average of 25 earthquakes measuring between 4.0 and 5.0 occur annually in California and Nevada, according to a recent three-year data sample.
Size is a measure of the distance a fault has moved during an earthquake and the force that will be required to move it.
The scale is usually preferred today over the older Richter scale because it is better at measuring both very small and very large earthquakes.
Most earthquakes that occur have a magnitude of 2.5 or less on the Richter scale, which means that they are unlikely to be felt, but can be detected with scientific instruments.
Those between 2.5 and 5.5 on the Richter scale – such as Thursday’s quake – are likely to be felt and may cause damage.
Scientists estimate that about half a million such earthquakes occur worldwide each year.
The most devastating earthquakes are those with a magnitude of eight or more on the scale, such as the TÅhoku earthquake that struck Japan in 2011 at a magnitude of nine Richter.
The quake was strong enough to cause a tsunami that washed ashore and killed more than 20,000 people.
It also caused the Fukushima nuclear power plant to collapse – causing evacuation, with the area still deserted.
