Earthquakes - General Information
An earthquake is the sudden release of energy when pieces of the earth's crust move against on another. This often occurs along fault lines, which reflect zones of weakness in the earth's crust. Movement along these fault lines is horizontal, vertical, or a combination of both ways.

The faults of concern for Irvine include the Inglewood-Newport, the San Andreas and the San Joaquin Hills faults. Earthquakes can cause buildings and bridges to collapse, down telephone and power lines, and result in fires, explosions, and landslides. Earthquakes can also cause huge ocean waves, called tsunamis, which travel long distances over water until they crash into coastal areas. 

Earthquakes are measured on the Richter scale, a measurement system that measures the intensity and strength of an earthquake on a scale from 0 to 10. 

For more information about earthquakes, call the Emergency Management Office at 949-724-7235.