Earthquakes Strike South Bay, Westside

Three small earthquakes—measuring 2.3, 4.0 and 2.5—struck in the Pacific Ocean off the Malibu coast Tuesday night, each shaking the Westside and the South Bay for less than a minute.

The first earthquake struck at 10:12 p.m., with the second, larger temblor striking less than two minutes later. The third earthquake struck slightly more than a minute after that.

The three earthquakes occurred in the Santa Cruz-Santa Catalina Ridge fault zone, located about 30 miles south-southwest of Malibu. The first earthquake occurred about 5 miles below the earth's surface, the second slightly more than 10 miles down, and the third about 3.7 miles down.

The largest of the three earthquakes was felt in West Los Angeles, Marina Del Rey, Santa Monica, Redondo Beach and other South Bay cities.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, more than 3,600 people in 258 ZIP codes—some as far away as Santa Maria—reported feeling the larger earthquake. More than 300 respondents said they lived in the South Bay, according to the breakdown of responses.

Patch reader Yvonne Elm Hall said on Twitter that she felt a "jolt ... a pretty noticeable jolt."

Twitter user Guarav Reddy, who indicates on his profile that he lives in Redondo Beach, said the desk was shaking at his home.

Light shaking was felt for "just a couple of seconds" at the National Weather Service's Oxnard office.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries, said Sgt. Fray Lupian of the sheriff's Malibu/Lost Hills Station.

"This is the first I'm hearing of it," Lupian said when contacted shortly after quake.

The Los Angeles Fire Department also received no reports of injuries or damage, the department's Matt Spence said.

A magnitude 1.8 quake also struck at 10:02 p.m. just 5 miles west of Manhattan Beach. Nobody reported feeling it.

—City News Service contributed to this report.