Magnitude 4.5 Quake Rocks S. California
Posted on: Thursday, 9 August 2007, 15:02 CDT
LOS ANGELES - A moderate earthquake rattled the Los Angeles area early Thursday, and authorities closed a highway bridge as a precaution after a routine inspection uncovered minor cracks.
The magnitude 4.5 temblor struck just before 1 a.m. about 4 miles northwest of Chatsworth, according to a preliminary report from the U.S. Geological Survey. Three aftershocks were recorded ranging from magnitude 1.6 to magnitude 1.8.
There were no immediate reports of injuries or significant damage, said spokesman Brian Humphrey, of the Los Angeles Fire Department. Hundreds of alarms went off in the area.
The six-lane Whites Canyon Bridge in Santa Clarita was closed after a routine post-quake inspection raised some concerns. Sheriff's deputies found minor cracking and small chunks of fallen concrete on the 300-foot-long bridge, officials said.
"We don't know if the cracks were pre-existing," said sheriff's Deputy Mark Wood.
Officials shut down the bridge for further inspection and traffic was rerouted, said city spokeswoman Gail Ortiz. The bridge, opened about 15 years ago, connects to a busy state route.
Scientists have not determined which fault the quake occurred on because the temblor was not strong enough to rip the ground open. But it appeared to have struck in the same region as the devastating 1994 Northridge quake.
Seismologist Kate Hutton of the California Institute of Technology said Thursday's temblor was "pretty much a typical earthquake."
The Chatsworth area is in far northwestern Los Angeles, about 30 miles from downtown. Santa Clarita, a separate city, is some 12 miles to the northeast of there.
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On the Net:
U.S. Geological Survey: http://www.usgs.gov/
Source: Associated Press/AP Online
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