A 2.5 microquake struck the seas yesterday morning. It's doubtful that anyone felt it because it was in the middle of the ocean, 81 miles southwest of downtown Los Angeles. But what's fun about its location is its proximity to the four southern Channel Islands. Since the mere presence of islands off the coast of Southern California seems to perplex a lot of people, we thought it was a good moment to at least identify them. more ›

There's a lot of Santa this and Santa that in these parts. No, we're not talking about the upcoming Christmas holiday, but Santa (or San) as in Santa Monica (the city), Santa Catalina (the island) and San Vicente (the street). A relatively new book, Saints of California: A Guide to Places and Their Patrons, helps orient us a little better--well, in terms of California's namesakes, history and European exploration--to where we live and visit. more ›

We may have not been feeling them directly here in Los Angeles, but the ground is shaking somewhat east of us. Since Saturday evening, three earthquakes have rattled the Inland Empire, first in Riverside County (3.3), again this morning east of Temecula (3.6) and then this afternoon more northward in San Bernardino County (4.6). Yesterday, there was a 4.3 magnitude quake near San Nicolas Island, which is one of two Channel Islands controlled by the Military. 3.0 and 4.0 magnitude quakes are categorized as "minor" and "light," respectively. more ›