Small Earthquakes Shake Western Malibu Area

• Two Sunday Morning Temblors in the Ocean Were Felt by Residents

BY ANNE SOBLE

Two earthquakes, one described in U.S. Geologic Survey/Caltech Seismic Net monitoring reports as minor, and the other as a smaller microearthquake, or possible aftershock, occurred last Sunday in the ocean northwest of Leo Carrillo Beach, near the Channel Islands.
The first temblor, registering a magnitude 3.5, occurred at 7:39: 01 a.m. The quake epicenter was approximately 23 miles west of the coast and was felt by residents in western Malibu, as well as in other locations in the area.
The hypocentral depth of the rupture was about seven miles below the surface of the ocean.
The second temblor, a magnitude 2.5, is listed on the USGS/Caltech updates as a microearthquake. It occurred 17 minutes after the 3.5 quake at 7:56:13 a.m. and was less noticeable to most of the residents who reported experiencing the earlier shaker.
The epicenter of the second quake was located west of the first one and was slightly shallower, less than seven miles in depth.
No additional seismic activity has been reported in the area.