Small earthquake rattles Los Angeles area

The Los Angeles Times ^ | January 8, 2009 | Monte Morin

[americanophile]

A 4.5 magnitude earthquake centered about a mile south of San Bernardino jolted Southern California briefly at about 7:50 p.m. Thursday evening, according to the U.S. Geological Survey and the Southern California Earthquake Center.

The quake was felt in downtown Los Angeles, parts of the High Desert, San Pedro and and coastal and inland Orange County, but was not felt as far south as San Diego. There were no immediate reports of damage, according to authorities.

[doug from upland]

I’m within 20 miles. It was a fairly good jolt. I think I felt a slight aftershock a minute ago.

[svcw]

About 20 sec, in Anza Valley (high desert Riverside County), was a rolling motion.

[Cyber Ninja]

Redondo Beach...didn’t feel it.

[al baby]

No way are you series was it a hugh quake

[Inyo-Mono]

4.5, a minor shaker. We get a lot of those here in Nor Cal. Didn’t feel a thing from this one.

[A_perfect_lady]

I’m in Weho. I felt it.

[SoCalPol]

*not felt as far south as San Diego.*

Interesting, am near downtown San Diego and felt the earth quake and my computer monitor was moving.

Nothing like many in the past.

[Psycho_Bunny]

For Cali, nothing under 7.5 is “Breaking” worthy.

[bboop]

We felt it in Sierra Madre (Pasadena).

[ThomasThomas]

I wasn’t rattled! Even though it happen while I was shaving.

[BenLurkin]

After the 7.5 quake nobody in SoCal is going to be on-line.

[al baby]

except us

[rockinqsranch]

We are within (guessing) about eight miles from Highland where we understand the epicenter of this quake was. It did get our attention as it hit with no warning.

What I mean by no warning is that normally we hear these things coming across the valley (Glen Valley), then they hit us, then we can still hear them as they travel off. This one was a total surprise.

Yes there was a small after shock within a half hour or so. We felt that one too.

[maine-iac7]

Just hours after 6.1 or 6.2 quake in Costa Rica - rumbles moving up the Ring of Fire?

Who next? S.F., Washington (having a lot of flooding there now, which pushes a lot of greasy mud and silt into the ground, which can ‘grease’ things up) or maybe it's Alaska's turn again?

[BenLurkin]

An acquaintance in the California National Guard drew my attention to this scenario for a 7.8 quake. It is sobering to say the least....http://www.shakeout.org/scenario/

[BenLurkin]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xioHswbahPc

[TaMoDee]

Apple Valley Airport -— slight rolling 3 sec long

[Carry_Okie]

What I don't understand about this scenario is how a 7.8 earthquake in the Antelope Valley poses such an extreme hazard in LA, nearly 30 miles away.

Are they talking 7.8 at the epicenter or downtown?

[BenLurkin]

That's a 7.8 which starts down by the Salton Sea and splits the San Andreas fault all the past L.A. The destructive shaking affects both the L.A. basin and other areas (such as far away Ventura) due to the characteristics of the soil in those area.

Displacement on the fault itself will be >10 feet both vertical and horizontal. Roads rail, water, electric and gas will all be severed.