As reported by the United States Geological Survey, a magnitude 3.8 earthquake took place around 4:25 p.m. six miles NorthWest of Santa Paula on Feb. 10. The earthquake had a depth of 14 miles.
No foreshocks were felt after the initial quake occurred and there were no reports of injuries or damage to the surrounding areas according to USGS.
The National Weather Service Tsunami alerts tweeted that no tsunamis were expected. The U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center issues tsunami information for the continental U.S. and Canada.
No tsunami warning, advisory, watch or threats were released according to the National Weather Service. Neighboring cities were able to report their experience through the USGS “Did You Feel It?” survey.
Reports indicated that residents as far as Camarillo, Oxnard and Ventura all felt the trembling of the quake. According to USGS, the hypocenter of the earthquake reached depths of 18.7 kilometers.
The earthquakes of California are caused by the movement of huge blocks of the earth’s crust, the Pacific and North American plates.
“The dense, salty water produced as a byproduct of oil and gas operations can stress fault lines even when operations cease, new research shows,” stated National Geographics. “Injected back into the ground, wastewater can lead to stronger earthquakes.”
Year after year earthquake activity has been increasing in frequency since 2017. The Rystad Energy report shows an analysis of seismic activity and an increase in frequency in 2021 of both oil and gas activity would be expected. This problem continues on by current methods of drilling at the same pace, known as fracking.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom announces plans in a press release to ban hydraulic fracturing by 2024 as part of a longer-term aim to end all oil extraction in the state.
“The climate crisis is real, and we continue to see the signs every day,” Newsom said. “As we move to swiftly decarbonize our transportation sector and create a healthier future for our children, I’ve made it clear I don’t see a role for fracking in that future and, similarly, believe that California needs to move beyond oil.”
