An area in the Pacific Northwest lies on a 'subduction' zone where a tectonic plate slides underneath the North American plate. Subduction zones produce the world's largest earthquakes.

An earthquake with a magnitude 3.9 rattled Malibu and the surrounding areas Sunday night, the United States Geological Survey. The quake struck at around 8:17 p.m. a little more than 7 miles west ...

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Shaking was felt across Los Angeles after a 3.9-magnitude earthquake struck ... 1.4 miles east-southeast of North Hollywood. A USGS map indicates "light shaking" was felt ...

The North American and Pacific tectonic plates had moved past each other by more than 15 feet — compared to an annual average of two inches. The earthquake is estimated to have measured 8.3 on ...