A magnitude 3 earthquake struck just north of Malibu on Saturday afternoon, the latest in a series of tremors reported over the past week and a half.
The latest earthquake occurred at 2:15 p.m. Saturday, with the epicenter along Kanan Dume Road, about 3.6 miles north of Point Dume.
Saturday's quake was the sixth magnitude 3 or greater since a magnitude 4.7 earthquake in the same area was felt widely in Southern California on Sept. 12.
In the area closest to Saturday’s epicenter, which included Zuma Beach and Point Dume State Beach in Malibu, only “weak” shaking was felt on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The intensity of the shaking is so mild that many people don’t recognize it as an earthquake. If they do, the vibrations felt could be similar to a truck passing by.
This has been an unusually active year for moderate earthquakes in Southern California. The Sept. 12 quake north of Malibu was part of the 14th seismic sequence this year in Southern California with at least one earthquake of magnitude 4 or greater, seismologist Lucy Jones, a research associate at Caltech, said earlier this month.
It was a record for the past 65 years. During that period, Jones said, there was an average of eight to 10 independent earthquake sequences a year that included at least one quake of magnitude 4 or greater.
In some years, there were only one or two such earthquake sequences; the previous highest count was 13 in 1988.
The observation is not necessarily an indication that a large, damaging earthquake is around the corner, the scientists said.
Some researchers have proposed conflicting theories: some say seismic activity increases in a region before a large earthquake, others say seismic activity decreases before a large shock.
So the recent activity offers no clue as to when the next big, destructive temblor will occur, Susan Hough, a seismologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, said earlier this month.
Did you feel this earthquake? Consider Reporting what you felt to the USGS.
Are you ready for when the big earthquake hits? Prepare for the next big earthquake by signing up for our Unbreakable Newsletterwhich breaks down emergency preparedness into small steps over six weeks. Learn more about earthquake kits, the apps you need, Lucy Jones' top tips, and more at latimes.com/Unshaken.
