Sunday, May 17, 2009

4.7 earthquake shakes large stretch of Southern California (Lennox)

Los Angeles Times

"LOS ANGELES - A magnitude 4.7 earthquake shook a large stretch of Southern California on Sunday night. There were no immediate reports of serious damage or injuries, though some broken windows, falling dishes and minor property damage occurred.

The quake hit at 8:39 p.m. and was centered near Lennox, a community between Inglewood and Hawthorne and east of Los Angeles International Airport. Lasting about 15 seconds, the temblor could be felt as far away as the High Desert, Indio, Carpinteria and San Diego County.

The earthquake was "a bit deep," said U.S. Geological Survey seismologist Susan Hough -- originating 8.4 miles below the surface. "That tends to make it less sharp -- less of a jerky, abrupt motion," Hough said. As a result, most of the region felt the quake as a rolling motion, though some closer to the center may have felt a jolt.

Automatic sensors initially logged a magnitude 5, but as more data came in, seismologists downgraded it to a magnitude 4.7. A brief aftershock, registering 3.1, followed the quake at 8:45 p.m., also centered in the Lennox area.

Los Angeles city and county fire officials said they had not received significant damage reports in residential or industrial areas, including the coastal refineries."

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