4.7-magnitude earthquake rattles Malibu and Southern California coast

LOS ANGELES — A 4.7-magnitude earthquake rattled the Southern California coast on Thursday morning, with residents of the affluent enclave of Malibu feeling the brunt of the tremor.

The quake was centered about 4 miles north of Malibu and was felt east across Los Angeles County, as far north as Bakersfield and south to San Diego, United States Geological Survey officials said.

The quake happened at about 7:28 a.m. PT about 7 miles below surface, officials said.

There have been at least five aftershocks with the most powerful being a 3.4 jolt at about 8:40 a.m., USGS statistical seismologist Morgan Page said.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or structural damage, said L.A. County Sheriff’s Sgt. Adam Zeko, based at the department’s Malibu/Lost Hills Station not far from the epicenter.

Susan Hough, a scientist with the USGS’s Earthquake Hazards Program, called Thursday’s quake a “relatively weak shaking” event that “would have been felt over most of the greater Los Angeles area, which has an awful lot of people.”

While Thursday’s quake wasn’t major, it was notable for the location: one of the most populated regions of Southern California.

“This earthquake was clearly felt by millions of people,” Hough said.

There’s about a 1-in-20 chance of a more powerful quake striking the region in coming days, Page said.

“Earthquakes like to cluster up with other earthquakes in space and time, and this earthquake is no exception,” Page said. “You can expect about a 5% chance that (in) the next week, you’ll get an earthquake at least that big or larger.”

She added: “But in most cases, nothing bigger happens.”

Malibu’s Pepperdine University did not report any immediate damage and classes at the school were expected to go on as scheduled on Thursday.

“It shook the building, a two-story building, pretty good,” Pepperdine spokesperson Michael Friel said of the quake. “We have no reports, at this time, of any damage and thankfully, of course, of any injuries.”

Marlene Lenthang reported from Los Angeles and David K. Li from New York City.