The magnitude 4.4 earthquake that struck near Westwood may be a foreshock to a much larger more significant quake, say experts.

The shaker is the most significant quake in Southern California since a 5.5 earthquake hit Chino Hills in 2008, a U.S. Geological Survey seismologist told reporters at a news conference Monday morning.

“The location is somewhat surprising. It’s within the Santa Monica Mountains. We have not seen seismicity in it in recent times,” said Caltech seismologist Egill Hauksson. “It has been dormant for quite some time.”  source

 
Experts warned that there is always the small possibility that the 4.4 earthquake was only a prelude to an equal or stronger shake.

Monday’s earthquake hit in the northern edge of the Santa Monica Mountains area, a general area responsible for the uplifting of the range over many thousands of years.

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