Small earthquakes near Ontario, Palos Verdes shake seismometers

Five small earthquakes occurred Friday night and Saturday morning beneath Rancho Palos Verdes and Ontario, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

Magnitude 3.5, 3.9 and 2.6 quakes struck at 10:05, 10:34 and 11:45 a.m. The first earthquake was centered 4.3 miles southeast of Ontario in San Bernardino County, while the second was placed about 4.4 miles southeast of Ontario and 4.7 miles northwest of Jurupa Valley in Riverside County and the third earthquake was 2.6 miles southeast of Ontario, according to the USGS.

The first earthquake’s depth was about 3.7 miles below ground, and the other two were about 3 miles down.

Two off-shore earthquakes near Rancho Palos Verdes respectively registered magnitude 2.5 and 2.9 at 10:27, then 11:03 p.m. Friday. The first RPV quake was 13.7 miles off the coast, and the second was about 13.1 miles from shore.

Rancho Palos Verdes and nearby peninsula communities have been experiencing an ongoing gradual landslide that has threatened and damaged numerous homes and local infrastructure.

No damage was reported as a result of the seismic activity.