LOS ANGELES—A 5.3 magnitude earthquake struck Southern California on Thursday, April 5. While the earthquake transpired offshore, the force was felt throughout the southern region of the state. This marked the strongest earthquake in Southern California since 2014, when a 4.4 magnitude hit Encino.
Trembling started at around 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, triggering California’s earthquake early-warning system, which is still in development. The epicenter was near Santa Cruz Island, south of the Channel Islands, below the Pacific Ocean. This falls in the east Santa Cruz basin fault zone, a major fault system. The island experienced landslides as a result of the earthquake.
“The offshore faults that produced today’s M5.3 quake are part of the system that moves Southern California around a bend of the San Andreas fault,” stated seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones via Twitter.
There were no reports of any serious injuries or damage as a result of the earthquake.
