6.3 Earthquake Strikes Off the Coast of SoCal- 12/14/12

Image Courtesy of USGS

Around 2:36am on 12/14/12, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck off the coast of Baja California, 163 miles southwest of Avalon, CA on Catalina Island. The earthquake created a rolling motion throughout Southern California. This earthquake was significant in magnitude, but fortunately occurred far off the coast, and did not cause any significant shaking on land. The quake was centered in the Cortes Bank of the Pacific Ocean, where earthquakes seldom occur. 

The USGS states that: "...the area offshore and within 250km of this earthquake has not hosted any events greater than M6 over the past 40 years."

For more information regarding the earthquake visit: www.usgs.gov