UCSB Earth Sciences Professor interview on the 7.0 earthquake

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Millions of Californians were rattled today by the largest earthquake to hit the state in several years. A 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Humbolt County this morning. 

The quake triggered a temporary tsunami warning for millions of people. Dozens of aftershocks followed. It's the largest California quake since a 7.1 hit Ridgecrest in 2019.

The tsunami warning did not include the central and south coasts. But the National Weather Service did say on social media that our area was under evaluation for a tsunami threat this morning. 

We spoke to John Cottle, a UC Santa Barbara professor of earth sciences, about what that process is like.

"So within seconds of an earthquake happening," Cottle said, "There are a series of sensors on land and on the surface of the ocean and on the bottom of the ocean that sense the earthquake. Based on that, scientists can calculate the location and depth of the earthquake and also some information about the kind of earthquake, and based on that, they can issue an automated warning. Once they get more and more information from more and more sensors and we can adjust those warnings, and figure out what parts of the coast might be impacted."

Professor Cottle says the earthquake is not likely a precursor to a bigger earthquake that would affect us here.