A series of small earthquakes gently shook the communities of Lennox and Westmont from Friday night into Saturday, causing concern among residents.
The United States Geological Survey recorded 90 micro-quakes around unincorporated Lennox and Westmont. The earthquakes ranged in magnitude from 1.0 to 2.7, from 8:05 p.m. Friday through 2:30 p.m. Saturday.
The swarm of seismic activity was clustered around the Newport-Inglewood Fault Zone, a strike-slip fault that runs from Culver City to Newport Beach. A 2017 study found that the fault could be more dangerous than previously believed, with evidence showing that ancient earthquakes there may have ranged up to a magnitude of 7.5, shaking Seal Beach so hard that it sank a chunk of the coast multiple feet.
Last week, a magnitude 3.2 earthquake hit the same fault zone near Compton.
Residents in various cities and neighborhoods — Crenshaw, Huntington Park, Bell, West Adams, Mid-City, Gardena and more — posted online that they felt the tremors.
The United States Geological Survey, which tracks earthquakes, couldn’t immediately be reached for comment. But information posted by the organization says micro-quakes aren’t a predictor of larger earthquakes.
The USGS has also written that it’s unlikely seismic activity is affected by large amounts of rain, such as the storm that hit L.A. in early September. However, it also noted that periods of heavy rain or drought could indirectly affect fault zones, pointing to a study that suggested that rates of micro-quakes may undergo small variations related to rainfall patterns.
