A magnitude 4.1 earthquake was reported offshore in California on the morning of New Year’s day, according to the US Geological Survey.
The seismic event occurred at 8:27 am local time 11 miles from Rancho Palos Verdes, and 13 miles from Los Angeles.
An average of five earthquakes with magnitudes between 4.0 and 5.0 occur per year in the greater Los Angeles area, according to a recent three-year data sample cited by TheLos Angeles Times.
According to Michigan Technological University, tremors between 2.5 and 5.4 magnitude are often felt but rarely cause much damage. Those below 2.5 magnitude are seldom felt by most people.
Shaking was reportedly felt throughout the Southern California region on Monday, though there were no immediate reports of injuries or damages.
It comes following a series of strong earthquakes were reported in Japan, resulting in the deaths of several people. Emergency services rushed to rescue people trapped under rubble, with Yoshimasa Hayashi, Japan’s chief cabinet secretary, saying that “many” buildings had collapsed.
One of the quakes was recorded at a magnitude of 7.5, prompting the country to issue tsunami alerts along the coast.
Japan’s weather agency later downgraded the tsunami warnings to tsunami advisories.
A tsunami warning indicates there is a risk of 3m waves or more and was enforced this morning. However, an advisory means the weather agency believes waves could reach heights of up to 1m.
The agency also called on residents to stay alert due to the possibility of earthquakes of a similar intensity over the coming week, national broadcaster NHK reports.
