LA Earthquake 2014 Update: 4.4 Magnitude Quake Caught on Tape [Watch Here]

The jolt that woke some Southern Californians put the M in Manic Monday.

At about 6:25 a.m. Monday, a 4.4 magnitude earthquake hit San Fernando Valley and the area around it. The epicenter was about 6 miles north-bnorthwest from western L.A. enclave Westwood, which is the address of UCLA. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, "the depth was 5 miles below the surface and it occurred on the north edge of the Santa Monica mountains," USA Today reported.

"It was the largest earthquake to strike near Los Angeles in years. The quake lasted several seconds, shaking furniture and causing ripples in swimming pools just as many Southern Californians were awaking," the news source continued.

Naturally, the quake did not escape those who were already awake during that hour. KTLA morning news anchors Chris Schauble and Megan Henderson were caught on camera reacting to the jolt during their broadcast.

"We're having an earthquake!" Schauble exclaimed, the Daily Mail noted. He and his female co-anchor then dove under their desk. Schauble's startled reaction was pretty amusing, given that the shaking was over almost as quickly as it started.

The L.A. Times reported that the tremor "surprised" seismologists. Should Californians be worried about their astonishment?

"Clearly, earthquakes happen in places you don't expect. The bigger the earthquake, eventually, you really are surprised to find an earthquake on a fault you didn't know about," said Thomas Heaton, director of Caltech's Earthquake Engineering Research Laboratory.

Egill Hauksson, a Caltech seismologist, said the earthquake was the strongest one to occur right under the Santa Monica Mountains in the 80 years "since we started recording earthquakes in Southern California."

The quaking was stronger in the areas furthest from the epicenter because the tremor's waves "bounce back and forth" within the basin and valleys, "so you get this bowl of Jello effect," Hauksson explained.

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