An earthquake struck California’s Central Coast on Tuesday, sending shockwaves hundreds of miles across the region.
The 4.1 magnitude shake was recorded at 9.45am PT (12.54pm ET), pinpointing the epicenter near Templeton.
Tremors were reported up and down the coastline, from Salinas in the north to Lompoc in the south.
The earthquake, according to the government’s rating system, produced moderate, noticeable jolts that could have shattered windows and overturned unstable objects.
So far, more than 600 people have reported feeling the tremor to the US Geological Survey (USGS), and that number is still climbing.
The quake’s location immediately sparked fears of a potential tsunami, but the USGS later confirmed there was ‘No Tsunami Warning, Advisory, Watch, or Threat.’
Officials in British Columbia, Canada informed its citizens of the California earthquake, noting ‘There is NO tsunami threat to BC.’
The USGS has warned there is a 21 percent chance of a magnitude 3 or higher earthquake striking in the next week, along with a three percent chance of a magnitude 4 or higher in the same timeframe.
An earthquake hit California on Tuesday, sending shockwaves up and down the coast
Templeton is located near the San Andreas Fault, which is the major plate boundary responsible for California’s seismic activity.
‘The San Andreas Fault can generate the region’s largest magnitude earthquakes (up to about M8.2),’ said the USGS.
‘The most recent ‘Big One’ on this fault in southern California was the M7.9 Fort Tejon earthquake of 1857, which was strongly felt throughout Los Angeles.’
Today’s quake received a ‘MMI V’ rating, according to the USGS’s ShakeMap.
Experts are ‘fairly confident that there could be a pretty large earthquake at some point in the next 30 years,’ Angie Lux, project scientist for Earthquake Early Warning at the Berkeley Seismology Lab, previously told the Daily Mail.
Experts predict the ‘Big One’ would cause roughly 1,800 deaths, 50,000 injuries and $200 billion in damages, according to the Great California Shakeout.
Based on historical trends, it’s estimated that the San Andreas causes a major quake every 150 or so years, and the last one was 167 years ago.
California is the third most seismically active US state, following Hawaii and Alaska.
Data shows that so far this year, California has experienced more than 14,000 tremors, compared to Alaska, which is nearing 60,000.
Officials detected the tremor just outside Templeton
Tremors were reported up and down the coastline, from Salinas in the north to Lompoc in the south
However, California experiences more earthquakes that cause damage due to its higher population and extensive infrastructure.
‘Southern California is also home to small areas of volcanic and geothermal activity, including Coso, north of Ridgecrest, and in the area south of the Salton Sea,’ the USGS said.
‘In these areas, hot fluid or magma is moving through the crust, causing local stresses and fracture movement.
‘These areas frequently experience seismic swarms, which are clusters of earthquakes that have no clear mainshock.
‘They may consist of many thousands of events and can last for hours, days, or years. Seismic swarms are also observed elsewhere in southern California, indicating localized movement of crustal fluids.’
