Considering the swarm of quakes near Arvin and the White Wolf Fault, I thought I'd post some information on the 1952 Kern County quake that occurred in the area. Although I was not around at the time to experience the quake, my parents had just moved to California from Indiana and were present to experience it. It was my mother's first experience of earthquakes and scared her half to death! They were as far away as Lawndale (near LAX) and felt considerable shaking.

The following excerpts are taken from SCEC
When: July 21, 1952 4:52 am PDT
Where: 35° 00' N, 119° 02' W 37 km (23 miles) south of Bakersfield
MAGNITUDE: Mw 7.5

The area shaken by this quake was impressively large. It was felt in Reno, Nevada, and required a construction effort in Las Vegas to realign structural steel. In San Francisco, it was felt mainly by people on the upper floors of tall buildings. Power outtages occurred in Los Angeles, along with minor building damage. It was felt in San Diego as well, and even damaged one building there! At Owens Lake, about 200 kilometers away, the shaking broke a pipeline and disturbed salt beds, causing damage to a mining operation.

The Kern County earthquake claimed 12 lives, was responsible for at least 18 injuries, and caused at least $50 million in property damage. This quake and its aftershocks (at least 20 were of magnitude 5.0 or greater) were responsible for damaging hundreds of buildings in the Kern County area, at least 100 of which had to be torn down.

See the above link for more interesting facts and pictures.

Click Here for an aerial picture of the White Wolf Fault and some detailed maps of past area quakes.

Maybe there's a Birth of a new fault in progress?

Time will surely tell if there is anything more coming from this swarm of quakes.

Canie