SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EARTHQUAKES

Below is a clickable map of southern California, with epicenters of historic earthquakes (as far back as 1812) of particular note plotted over the background topography. Shown, too, are major highways (in tan) and the surface traces of major faults (in greenish-blue).

This map does not show the epicenters of all earthquakes greater than magnitude 4.5 recorded in the southern California area since the 19th century. It is meant as an overview of large and destructive, fairly recent, or unusual earthquakes. The magnitudes given by the scale are generally moment magnitudes (denoted M_w), for earthquakes above magnitude 6, and local magnitudes (denoted M_L), for most earthquakes below magnitude 6 and for earthquakes which occurred before accurate instrumental measurements of magnitude were possible (i.e. before 1933).

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