Magnitude 4.3 earthquake rocks Los Angeles

By Larry John Brown

Published: May 26, 2022 | 12:12 PM GMT

An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.3 struck Los Angeles today, causing widespread damage.

According to USGS data, the quake happened near the town of Trona, about 120 miles north of Los Angeles, shortly after 2.20 a.m. on Thursday.

The tremor was strong enough to activate the state’s alarm system, which detects’significant’ quakes.

The closest city to Thursday’s quake was Ridgecrest, located 14 miles to the west, though there were no immediate reports of damage.

An average of 25 earthquakes with magnitudes between 4.0 and 5.0 occur per year in California and Nevada, according to a recent three year data sample.

Magnitude is a measurement of the distance a fault moved during a quake and the force that would be required to move it.

The scale is typically preferred today over the older Richter Scale, because it is better at measuring both very small and very large quakes.

Most earthquakes that occur measure 2.5 or less on the magnitude scale, meaning they are unlikely to be felt but can be picked up on scientific instruments.

Those measuring between 2.5 and 5.5 – such as Thursday’s quake – are likely to be felt and may cause damage.

Scientists believe around half a million such quakes happen worldwide every year.

The most-damaging quakes are those that measure eight or above on the scale, such as the Tōhoku earthquake which hit Japan in 2011 at magnitude nine.

That quake was powerful enough to trigger a tsunami that washed ashore and killed more than 20,000 people.

It also caused a meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear power plant – sparking an evacuation, with the area deserted to this day.

About Larry John Brown

Larry John is a talented writer and journalist based in New York, USA. He is a valued contributor to TDPel Media, where he creates engaging and informative content for readers. Larry has a keen interest in current events, business, and technology, and he enjoys exploring these topics in-depth to provide readers with a comprehensive understanding of the issues. His writing style is characterized by its clarity, precision, and attention to detail, which make his articles a pleasure to read. Larry’s passion for storytelling has earned him a reputation as a skilled writer and a respected authority in his field.