Location:

Period:

9 May 2008 09:26:48 - 11 May 2008 14:11:17 (2 days 4 hours 44 minutes)

Volcanoes in 100km radius:

None

Earthquakes:

4 swarms found nearby.

2002

S20020928.1(27.6km)

28 Sep

1 day 21 hours

48 earthquakes

2008

S20081130.1(29.4km)

29 Nov

16 days 16 hours

369 earthquakes

2014

S20140305.1(28.0km)

4 Mar

4 days 14 hours

79 earthquakes

2019

S20190706.4(28.6km)

5 Jul

12 days 17 hours

712 earthquakes

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Seismic Swarm S20080510.1 Near Trona, California: Event Analysis and Regional Context

Seismic swarm S20080510.1 occurred approximately 36 km east-northeast of Trona in San Bernardino County, California. The sequence began at 09:26 on 9 May 2008 and concluded at 14:11 on 11 May 2008, spanning 52 hours and 44 minutes. During this period, 47 earthquakes were recorded, with magnitudes ranging from 0.0 to 3.3 and focal depths primarily between 0 and 15 km.

The swarm exhibited typical characteristics of clustered seismicity, featuring numerous events of low to moderate magnitude without a dominant mainshock. Notable activity included a magnitude 3.3 earthquake at 22:59 on 9 May at 2 km depth, followed closely by a magnitude 2.2 event. Subsequent peaks occurred on 10 May, with magnitudes of 2.9 and 3.0 recorded at shallow depths of 2 km. Later events on 11 May were generally smaller, below magnitude 1.5.

This activity aligns with the broader tectonic setting of the Mojave Desert region, where the North American and Pacific plates interact along strike-slip fault systems. The area near Trona lies within the Basin and Range province, influenced by extensional tectonics and proximity to the Garlock Fault, which accommodates lateral shear between the Sierra Nevada and the Mojave block. Historical records indicate recurrent low-level seismicity in this zone, consistent with distributed faulting rather than large single-rupture events.

According to internal classification data, only one swarm has been documented in the region since 1 January 2000, with the prior occurrence in 2002. Such swarms often reflect fluid migration or stress redistribution along minor faults, though specific causative mechanisms for S20080510.1 remain under study.

The event underscores the importance of continuous monitoring in central California, where even modest swarms contribute to understanding long-term seismic hazards in a landscape shaped by millions of years of plate-boundary deformation.

References

United States Geological Survey Earthquake Catalog
California Geological Survey Regional Fault Maps
SeismoSight internal swarm classification records