Chicago – April 15, 2025
A 5.2 magnitude earthquake struck Southern California on Monday morning, according to preliminary reports.
The California Institute of Technology’s Seismological Laboratory confirmed the quake occurred at 10:08 a.m. PT near Julian, California.
Dr. Lucile Jones, a seismologist with Caltech, stated that the tremor followed a smaller 3.3 magnitude foreshock that happened around 4 p.m. on Sunday. She noted that the quake appears to be linked to the Elsinore fault line. Shaking was felt across a broad region of the state, stretching from San Diego to Los Angeles.
Governor Gavin Newsom has been informed of the situation, and his office reported that state officials are working with local agencies to determine if there was any damage and whether emergency response is necessary.
Data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) showed that those near the epicenter experienced “moderate shaking,” while over 25 million people across the region felt “weak to light” tremors.
Dr. Jones also mentioned that it’s currently impossible to predict if this earthquake is a precursor to a larger one. “Any earthquake could potentially be a foreshock,” she said, adding that there’s usually a 5% chance a larger quake could follow.
