Magnitude-3.0 Earthquake Strikes in Santa Monica Bay

A magnitude 3.0 earthquake struck in Santa Monica Bay 12:23 p.m. Wednesday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The quake struck west of the beach cities. (Credit: USGS)

The temblor hit at a depth of 5.7 miles about 6 miles west of Manhattan Beach, USGS said.

The epicenter was in the Pacific Ocean, west of the beach cities and the South Bay (map).

It appeared to strike near the northern tip of the Palos Verdes Fault Zone, which generally runs from near the center of the bay southwest toward and through the Palos Verdes Peninsula and then perpendicular with the Orange County coastline, according to a map from Caltech’s Southern California Earthquake Data Center.

The quake was felt widely along the Santa Monica Bay coastline, but only as a “light” or “weak” shaking, according to the USGS ShakeMap.

“We have just experienced what felt like a small earthquake,” the Hawthorne Police Department tweeted. “No reports of damage or injuries at this time.”