Rose Canyon Fault sends La Jolla a reminder

Small Jolt Rattles La Jolla as Rose Canyon Fault Reminds Us It's Still There

If you were in La Jolla on Friday and thought you felt something — you probably did. A magnitude 2.3 earthquake struck near La Jolla on March 6, adding another tick to San Diego's surprisingly busy seismic calendar.

The quake was small enough that most residents likely dismissed it as a passing truck or an overenthusiastic neighbor. That is, if they felt it at all. At 2.3, this is the kind of tremor that rattles a coffee mug, gets a Golden Retriever's attention, and then disappears before you can even open the MyShake app.

Still, it is a good reminder that La Jolla sits in one of the more seismically interesting parts of the county. The Rose Canyon Fault — not the famous San Andreas, which gets all the Hollywood treatment — runs directly through downtown San Diego, beneath San Diego Bay, and north right through La Jolla and along the coastline. It is essentially San Diego's own personal fault line, and it does not sleep.

According to historical data, there is roughly a 68 percent chance of a major earthquake within 50 kilometers of La Jolla within the next 50 years. The largest quake within 30 miles in recent memory was a 4.6 back in 1973. The region averages about 50 magnitude-2-or-higher earthquakes per month across the greater San Diego area, meaning minor rumbles are practically routine.

No damage or injuries were reported from Friday's event. The USGS tracked it, seismographs recorded it, and San Diego mostly shrugged and went back to tacos. As Californians, we have earned that reaction — but it never hurts to make sure your emergency kit is stocked.

Sources: USGS | ShakeOut / SCEC | Homefacts | VolcanoDiscovery | EarthquakeList