Series of earthquakes reported just miles from Isla Vista

A swarm of earthquakes were reported 8 miles west of Isla Vista beginning Tuesday night.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, a 4.1-magnitude earthquake struck at 9:42 p.m. A minute later a 3.1-maginitude quake shook the area.

At 9:49 p.m., a 2.2-magnitude aftershock occurred followed by a 2.0-magnitude aftershock a minute later.

That was just the beginning. A total of seven earthquakes shook the area Tuesday night and three more occurred Wednesday morning.

Residents in the Goleta Valley reported feeling the strong initial earthquake. We received many calls into our newsroom, some as far away as Santa Ynez. One resident there told us it felt like a boat rocking in the ocean. Most people say the quakes felt like a gentle rocking motion.

Paul Alessio, a PHD Earth Science Student at UCSB says earthquake hazards are always a concern in Southern California.

“A clustering of earthquake events doesn’t mean a big one is coming,” said Alessio. “It increases the probability that a large earthquake is going to occur, but it doesn’t mean we are going to have one anytime soon.”

There are no reports of damage at this time. There are currently no tsunami warnings or advisories issued for the Central Coast.

These series of earthquakes come on the heels of two earthquakes in the Montecito area in late April and several quakes in Santa Barbara on May 6.

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