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
Updated on February 9, 2021 at 11:37 am
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Fifty years ago this week, the deadly Sylmar earthquake rattled Southern California, leaving dozens of people dead and causing more than $500 million in property damage.
Also known as the San Fernando earthquake, the Feb. 8, 1971, magnitude-6.5 quake happened on a Tuesday at about 6:01 a.m. Its origin was in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains north of Los Angeles, but shaking was felt across a widespread part of the San Fernando Valley.
It was the most powerful in nearly four decades in Los Angeles. Download our mobile app for iOS or Android to get the latest breaking news and local stories.