Preliminary 5.2-magnitude earthquake strikes near Bakersfield, rattles LA County

A preliminary 5.2-magnitude earthquake struck near Bakersfield and shook all the way to Los Angeles County.

It happened at about 9:09 p.m., roughly 14.29 miles southwest of Lamont, California, which borders Bakersfield. It is a relatively rural area about 89 miles north of downtown Los Angeles.

Immediately after the earthquake, the Los Angeles Fire Department deployed its helicopters to survey the region for any potential damages. 

“Our @LAFD has activated to conduct its routine survey of the city and assess for any damages,” Mayor Karen Bass tweeted.” City teams will continue to monitor any impacts.”

Geologists believe there is little to no risk of landslides or liquefaction in the area, according to the USGS.

Aftershocks 

More than 20 earthquakes followed the original, with magnitudes between 2.5 and 4.5, . The aftershocks struck near Lamont and Grapevine. Aftershocks tend to happen within an hour after the original quake.

Cal Tech seismologists weigh in 

The United States Geological Survey posted a map depicting the intensity of the shaking in the regions surrounding Lamont. According to the map, the shaking was mild in LA County but between light and moderate near the epicenter of Lamont. 

Allen Husker, a seismology research professor at the California Institute of Technology, attributed the shaking in LA to the basin effect. Basins, due to their softer nature, tend to magnify the shaking. 

Seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones said the earthquake originated in the southern end of the Central Valley, close to the epicenter of a magnitude 7.5 earthquake that rocked the region in 1952. 

“However, it does not appear to be on the same fault as that earthquake,” she added. “It doesn’t seem this [recent] earthquake is associated with any known fault.”