Malibu Shaken Again: Is Southern California Bracing For The Big One?

A magnitude 3.2 earthquake shook the waters off the coast of Malibu on Saturday afternoon, marking the latest in a series of seismic events that have rattled Southern California this month.

Since September 12, when a 4.7 magnitude earthquake hit just north of Malibu, this was the seventh quake of 3.0 or greater magnitude to strike the region.

The September 12 quake was strong enough to disrupt live news broadcasts, momentarily unsettling anchors at KTTV-TV and KABC-TV.

While many of the subsequent quakes occurred under land, Saturday’s tremor took place offshore, roughly 6 miles southwest of Point Dume.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, only “weak” shaking was reported in some parts of Malibu during Saturday’s quake.

This level of shaking, as defined by the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale, is usually felt by just a few people, particularly those indoors or at rest.

The last notable earthquake in the Malibu area occurred almost exactly a week earlier on September 21, when a 3.1 magnitude quake struck just north of Malibu.

This year has seen an unusually high number of moderate earthquakes across Southern California. The September 12 earthquake was part of the 14th seismic sequence in the region this year with at least one quake of magnitude 4 or higher, breaking a 65-year record.

On average, Southern California experiences about 8 to 10 such sequences annually, with the previous high being 13 in 1988.

While this uptick in seismic activity is notable, experts caution that it doesn’t necessarily signal an impending major earthquake.

There are competing theories among seismologists about the correlation between increased earthquake activity and the likelihood of a large, destructive quake.

Some believe seismic activity ramps up before a major quake, while others suggest it can actually decrease before a significant event.

For now, there’s no clear indication of when the next large earthquake might strike.