M3.9 earthquake hits North Hollywood, Los Angeles
A shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M3.9 hit North Hollywood, California, at 06:13 UTC on March 3, 2025 (22:13 PST, March 2). The agency is reporting a depth of 15.3 km (9.5 miles).
M3.9 earthquake location in North Hollywood, Los Angeles, on March 3, 2024. Image credit: TW/SAM, ESRI
The epicenter was about 2.1 km ESE (1.3 miles) of North Hollywood, 2.7 km (1.7 miles) N of Universal City, and 3.9 km (2.4 miles) ESE of Studio City, California.
The quake had a depth of 15.3 km (9.5 miles), with nearly 8 700 people reporting tremors by 23:18 PST on March 2.
The USGS “Did You Feel It?” map indicates that light shaking was felt in North Hollywood, Burbank, and surrounding areas, including parts of Los Angeles, Orange, and Ventura counties. The shaking was described as “very light” in some areas, such as Van Nuys, with no immediate reports of significant damage or injuries.
The closest known fault is the Hollywood Fault, though seismologist Lucy Jones noted on social media that this quake was “too small to definitively assign to any fault.” The Hollywood Fault runs through the Los Angeles area and is capable of producing larger events.
The quake struck shortly after the 2025 Academy Awards concluded at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, about 16 km (10 miles) away, but there’s no evidence it disrupted the event or its aftermath.
The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) said the event did not cause them to enter earthquake mode.
References:
1 M3.9 earthquake Hollywood, California – USGS – March 3, 2025
I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
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