Newport-Inglewood Fault
Encyclopedia
The Newport-Inglewood Fault is a right-lateral fault in Southern California
. The fault extends for 75 kilometres (46.6 mi) from Culver City
southeast to Newport Beach
at which point it runs out into the Pacific Ocean
. The fault can be seen on the Earth's surface as line of hills extending from Signal Hill
to Culver City. The fault has a slip rate of approximately 0.6 millimeter/year (0.02 in/year) and is predicted to be capable of a 6.0–7.4 magnitude earthquake on the moment magnitude scale
.
The fault was first identified after a 4.9 magnitude quake struck near Inglewood, California
on June 21, 1920. Due to the lack of earthquake-resistant construction in southern California at this time, this quake caused considerable damage in the Inglewood area and was a preview of what was to come almost 13 years later. The Long Beach earthquake occurred on March 10, 1933, centered along the southern segment of this fault, and registering a magnitude 6.3; this quake killed 115 people and was the second most deadly earthquake in California history, after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake
. Seventy schools in the Long Beach
and Compton
area were destroyed and an additional 120 were heavily damaged by the quake; had this tremor struck during school hours, the death toll would have been much higher, some estimates as high as 1000. In response to the poor performance of school structures, the California legislature passed the Field Act
in April, mandating earthquake-resistant construction for all new school buildings.
On September 9, 2001, a magnitude 4.2 earthquake was reported at the northern end of the Newport-Inglewood fault, near Century City.
On May 17, 2009, at 8:39 PDT, a 4.7 earthquake was centered in the unincorporated community of Lennox
, very close to the estimated location of the 1920 Inglewood earthquake. The earthquake was felt as far away as San Diego and Las Vegas
. An aftershock measuring 4.0 occurred on May 19, 2009, at 3:49 PDT in nearly the same location. As of June 3, 2009, more than a score of aftershocks had been measured at or near the point of the original earthquake on May 17. The Newport-Inglewood fault may have been responsible for these quakes, but further study is needed to determine the source fault.
On November 5, 2010 at 9:06 a.m. local time, a magnitude 3.7 quake originated on this fault, centered two miles south of Long Beach, CA. No damage was reported.
On August 18, 2011 at 2:43 p.m. local time, a magnitude 3.2 quake originated on this fault, centered two miles southeast of Long Beach. No damage was reported.
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
. The fault extends for 75 kilometres (46.6 mi) from Culver City
Culver City, California
Culver City is a city in western Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 38,883, up from 38,816 at the 2000 census. It is mostly surrounded by the city of Los Angeles, but also shares a border with unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County. Culver...
southeast to Newport Beach
Newport Beach, California
Newport Beach, incorporated in 1906, is a city in Orange County, California, south of downtown Santa Ana. The population was 85,186 at the 2010 census.The city's median family income and property values consistently place high in national rankings...
at which point it runs out into the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. The fault can be seen on the Earth's surface as line of hills extending from Signal Hill
Signal Hill, California
Signal Hill is a small city in California located in the Greater Los Angeles area. Signal Hill, completely surrounded by the city of Long Beach, was incorporated on April 22, 1924, roughly three years after oil was discovered in Signal Hill. As of the 2010 census, the city population was...
to Culver City. The fault has a slip rate of approximately 0.6 millimeter/year (0.02 in/year) and is predicted to be capable of a 6.0–7.4 magnitude earthquake on the moment magnitude scale
Moment magnitude scale
The moment magnitude scale is used by seismologists to measure the size of earthquakes in terms of the energy released. The magnitude is based on the seismic moment of the earthquake, which is equal to the rigidity of the Earth multiplied by the average amount of slip on the fault and the size of...
.
The fault was first identified after a 4.9 magnitude quake struck near Inglewood, California
Inglewood, California
Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, southwest of downtown Los Angeles. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. Its population stood at 109,673 as of the 2010 Census...
on June 21, 1920. Due to the lack of earthquake-resistant construction in southern California at this time, this quake caused considerable damage in the Inglewood area and was a preview of what was to come almost 13 years later. The Long Beach earthquake occurred on March 10, 1933, centered along the southern segment of this fault, and registering a magnitude 6.3; this quake killed 115 people and was the second most deadly earthquake in California history, after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was a major earthquake that struck San Francisco, California, and the coast of Northern California at 5:12 a.m. on Wednesday, April 18, 1906. The most widely accepted estimate for the magnitude of the earthquake is a moment magnitude of 7.9; however, other...
. Seventy schools in the Long Beach
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
and Compton
Compton, California
Compton is a city in southern Los Angeles County, California, United States, southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The city of Compton is one of the oldest cities in the county and on May 11, 1888, was the eighth city to incorporate. The city is considered part of the South side by residents of Los...
area were destroyed and an additional 120 were heavily damaged by the quake; had this tremor struck during school hours, the death toll would have been much higher, some estimates as high as 1000. In response to the poor performance of school structures, the California legislature passed the Field Act
Field Act
The Field Act was one of the first pieces of legislation that mandated earthquake resistant construction in the United States...
in April, mandating earthquake-resistant construction for all new school buildings.
On September 9, 2001, a magnitude 4.2 earthquake was reported at the northern end of the Newport-Inglewood fault, near Century City.
On May 17, 2009, at 8:39 PDT, a 4.7 earthquake was centered in the unincorporated community of Lennox
Lennox, California
Lennox is a census-designated place in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 22,753 at the 2010 census, down from 22,950 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
, very close to the estimated location of the 1920 Inglewood earthquake. The earthquake was felt as far away as San Diego and Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. An aftershock measuring 4.0 occurred on May 19, 2009, at 3:49 PDT in nearly the same location. As of June 3, 2009, more than a score of aftershocks had been measured at or near the point of the original earthquake on May 17. The Newport-Inglewood fault may have been responsible for these quakes, but further study is needed to determine the source fault.
On November 5, 2010 at 9:06 a.m. local time, a magnitude 3.7 quake originated on this fault, centered two miles south of Long Beach, CA. No damage was reported.
On August 18, 2011 at 2:43 p.m. local time, a magnitude 3.2 quake originated on this fault, centered two miles southeast of Long Beach. No damage was reported.