Fifty Years Ago, A Major Earthquake Shifted the Course of Seismology in SoCal
February 9, 2021Caltech
The 1971 San Fernando quake led the USGS and Caltech to join forces, expanding seismic monitoring through the region
February 9 marks 50 years since the devastating 1971 San Fernando earthquake that rocked Los Angeles. The magnitude-6.6 temblor was the worst the region had experienced for decades. But out of the tragedy came a period of tremendous advances in earthquake science and also in increasing public safety during earthquakes in Southern California.
Just seconds after 6 a.m. on February 9, 1971, a 12-mile section of an under-appreciated fault along the San Gabriel Mountains suddenly and dramatically slipped. The entire Los Angeles region was rattled, but the shaking was particularly violent in the northeastern corner of the San Fernando Valley. By its end, two large hospitals (including one that was just months old) lay destroyed, powerlines had fallen, gas lines had explo
50 Years Later, an Earthquake s Legacy Continues
Release Date:
February 4, 2021
The San Fernando earthquake struck Southern California 50 years ago, killing 64 people and costing over $500 million in damages. The quake prompted federal, state and local action to reduce earthquake risks and bolster public safety.
At 6 o’clock in the morning on February 9, 1971, the reservoir keeper of the Lower Van Norman Dam in Southern California tried to get out of bed.
He couldn’t. A magnitude-6.6 earthquake was shaking his home nestled at the bottom of the dam. After checking on his wife and child, he drove to the top of the dam to examine the damage. “It was hard to believe what I saw,” he said.