Los Angeles is located in the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, where geological instability has contributed to the creation of a series of faults that cause approximately 10.000 earthquakes in these areas annually.

One of the most important faults is the San Andes, located on the border of the Pacific and North American plates. Therefore, L.A. is exposed to numerous earthquakes, which, fortunately, are of small magnitude and are unaffected by the inhabitants. In 1994, however, the city was rocked by the 6.7-magnitude Northridge earthquake, causing $12.5 billion in damage and 72 deaths. Parts of the city are also exposed to tsunamis. The port areas of Los Angeles were destroyed by waves from the 1960 Chilean earthquake.