Category Archives: California

M 3.5 near Castaic, CA – Updated

This morning (2/21/2020) at 5:42 am, a small earthquake struck the Castaic area north of Los Angeles. Just looking at the maps, it seems near the San Gabriel Fault but it is a somewhat complex area. It was also a very deep earthquake as they go, 18.1 km. Shaking was felt in a wide area but wasn’t very strong.

Shake map for the earthquake. Now a M 3.5.

For more information, check out the USGS Summary Page of the event.

https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/ci39079535/executive

Featured Image – 2/20/2020

Looking up the canyon from the West Fork San Gabriel River Bridge (53-2244). Taken in 2016.

Looking toward South Mount Hawkins in the West Fork San Gabriel Canyon from State 39. This road was planned to be improved but landslides prevented this work from being completed. In the case of this area, almost all of the low lying areas not covered in snow are landslides in one form or another. Even Crystal Lake, where this roadway is headed, exists because of landslides.

New Page – Southern California Passes

As an addition to the “High Points” on the Highways pages, I have added a new page which summarizes all the major passes in Southern California. Postmiles, or mileposts, have also been added as well to the list. If you see any missing or find some errors in the data, let me know.

M 3.6 – 4km NNE of Granada Hills, CA

Shakemap from USGS showing the extent of shaking and major fault lines

On January 21, 2020, just a few days after the 26th anniversary of the Mw 6.7 Northridge Earthquake, we had another small jolt strike the San Fernando Valley. This one, while small, was felt over a wide area. If you are among the many that did feel it, the USGS wants to hear from you! These “Did You Feel It?” reports help them to understand earthquakes further.

Ridgecrest – Part 2 Now Online

Part 2 of my Ridgecrest earthquake field trip is now online. This time, I also won’t forget to add a link!