The 1971 Sylmar earthquake marked a major turning point in understanding the science behind earthquakes. Scientists are using what they learned 50 years ago to make us safer today.

When the Sylmar earthquake rumbled through Los Angeles 50 years ago, on Feb. 9, 1971, the top of the earthen Lower Van Norman Dam melted into the reservoir.

Friday is the 53rd anniversary of the 1971 San Fernando earthquake, which was recorded as magnitude 6.6. Also known as the Sylmar earthquake, it killed 64 people and caused over $500 million in ...

Between 1964 and 1994, Los Angeles faced two big earthquakes, which both hit the suburban San Fernando Valley hard: the magnitude 6.6 Sylmar earthquake of 1971, which resulted in 64 deaths; and ...

The devastating magnitude-6.5 San Fernando Earthquake (aka Sylmar Earthquake) occurred five months later. Photos: What to Keep in Your Disaster Emergency Kit. This article tagged under: ...

A 2.9 magnitude earthquake struck about a mile west of Sylmar at around 4:11 p.m. Wednesday afternoon. According to the United States Geological Survey, ...