Three small earthquakes struck north of Malibu on Monday morning, just four days after a magnitude 4.7 earthquake was reported in the same area along the Pacific coast.
Monday's first quake, a magnitude 3.76 temblor, was reported at 4:22 a.m. about a mile north of Malibu, just west of Kanan Dume Road, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The second quake, at 5:05, registered a magnitude of 1.7, and the third, at 7:05, a magnitude of 2.8, both in the same area as the first.
Monday's quakes are part of a series of nearly 60 aftershocks that have occurred since a moderate earthquake struck Thursday, according to a USGS spokesman. All of those quakes have been centered in the same area north of Malibu and the Pacific coast.
A spokesman for the Los Angeles County Fire Department said the department did not receive any calls for service in response to the earthquakes.
In the past 10 days, there have been eight earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby.
Thursday's Malibu quake was part of the 14th seismic sequence with at least one magnitude 4 or greater earthquake this year in Southern California, said seismologist Lucy Jones, a research associate at Caltech.
Scientists said the recent shaking does not necessarily indicate that a major, destructive earthquake is coming. Researchers have offered opposing theories: Some say seismic activity increases in a region before a major earthquake strikes, while others insist seismic activity decreases before a major shake. In short, the recent activity offers no clue as to when the next major, destructive quake will occur, said USGS seismologist Susan Hough.
An average of five earthquakes with magnitudes between 3.0 and 4.0 occur per year in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, according to a recent three-year data sample.
The first quake on Monday struck at a depth of 6.6 miles and the second at 5.9 miles, according to available data.
Did you feel this earthquake? Consider reporting what you felt to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
Are you prepared for when a big earthquake hits? Get ready for the next big one by signing up for our Unshaken newsletter, which breaks down emergency preparedness into bite-sized steps over six weeks. Learn more about earthquake kits, the apps you need, Lucy Jones' top tips and more at latimes.com/Unshaken.
This story was initially generated by Quakebot, a computer application that monitors the latest earthquakes detected by the USGS. A Times editor reviewed the story before it was published. If you are interested in learning more about the system, visit our FAQ.
Times Staff Writer Rong-Gong Lin II contributed to this report.
