
Southern California has experienced a 5.2-magnitude earthquake. The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake struck in Kern County, with the epicenter near Mettler, around 85 miles from downtown Los Angeles. There were no reports of damage or fatalities, but several aftershocks sparked alarm and speculation that a more significant event may be imminent.
Experts say that the chances are slim at just 5% to 10% probability, and the USGS said that aftershock activity does not signal that disaster is imminent. The agency recorded dozens of aftershocks following the Kern County quake, some registering a magnitude of 4.5.
The latest event follows several recent quakes in the southern region of the Golden State. On August 2, a 3.3-magnitude earthquake hit the Salton Sea area and was felt in some inhabited regions of Southern California. Just days earlier, on July 29, a 4.9-magnitude quake struck near Barstow, shaking parts of the Southern Californian deserts.
California is the most vulnerable US state for earthquakes, primarily because it is home to the San Andreas fault. The fault runs for roughly 800 miles through the state, beginning in the northwestern region and running toward the sea near San Francisco.
Scientists explain that earthquakes occur when so-called “plates” that comprise the earth’s crust clash with each other. California is home to the Northern Pacific and North American plates, which meet at the San Andreas fault. Additionally, most of the Golden State’s population lives near, or even on, the fault.
A “slip” in the fault has caused significant catastrophes in the past, including the 1989 San Francisco tragedy that left dozens dead and injured almost 4,000. It was the strongest quake to hit San Francisco since 1906, when a segment of the San Andreas fault “slipped,” causing the earth to shake San Francisco and send tremors all the way to Los Angeles, southern Oregon, and parts of Nevada. The San Francisco death toll exceeded 3,000, and more than 200,000 people were left homeless – just under half of the city’s total population at the time. For weeks, survivors stood in long lines for food, medical supplies, and blankets that had been donated from around the world.