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Location:
4km SSW of El Centro, CA
Period:
2 Jun 2008 23:52:37 - 7 Jun 2008 11:34:54 (4 days 11 hours 42 minutes)
Volcanoes in 100km radius:
Prieto, Cerro(38km), Salton Buttes(52km)
Earthquakes:
54
28 swarms found nearby.
2000
S20000614.1(15.2km)
14 Jun
2 days 16 hours
145 earthquakes
2003
S20030301.1(21.2km)
1 Mar
23 hours
52 earthquakes
S20030524.1(26.1km)
23 May
1 day 22 hours
161 earthquakes
2005
31 Jan
1 day 5 hours
32 earthquakes
2009
S20091102.1(22.7km)
1 Nov
4 days 17 hours
286 earthquakes
S20091108.1(20.8km)
8 Nov
1 day 14 hours
54 earthquakes
S20091126.1(23.4km)
26 Nov
1 day 0 hours
35 earthquakes
2010
PS20100405.1(60.5km)
4 Apr
1 hours
5 earthquakes
S20100405.2(29.0km)
4 Apr
20 days 15 hours
840 earthquakes
S20100406.1(22.3km)
5 Apr
4 days 7 hours
57 earthquakes
S20100602.1(27.6km)
2 Jun
8 days 18 hours
98 earthquakes
2011
S20110715.2(12.3km)
15 Jul
2 days 3 hours
36 earthquakes
2012
S20120826.1(29.7km)
26 Aug
11 days 23 hours
972 earthquakes
2016
26 Nov
2 days 0 hours
50 earthquakes
S20161231.1(26.8km)
31 Dec
3 days 4 hours
317 earthquakes
2017
S20170313.1(10.9km)
13 Mar
12 hours
24 earthquakes
7 Aug
16 hours
40 earthquakes
2019
S20190115.1(15.7km)
15 Jan
4 hours
24 earthquakes
S20191112.1(11.9km)
12 Nov
1 day 4 hours
84 earthquakes
2021
S20210611.1(24.7km)
11 Jun
4 hours
26 earthquakes
2022
S20220420.1(20.9km)
19 Apr
3 days 1 hours
71 earthquakes
2023
S20230428.1(12.6km)
28 Apr
4 days 3 hours
186 earthquakes
2024
12 Feb
3 days 2 hours
363 earthquakes
S20240518.1(22.3km)
18 May
2 days 19 hours
306 earthquakes
S20241009.2(25.2km)
8 Oct
22 hours
25 earthquakes
2025
1 Jan
2 hours
28 earthquakes
2026
15 Jan
1 day 18 hours
81 earthquakes
S20260510.1(27.1km)
9 May
4 days 16 hours
477 earthquakes
AI-generated article — for informational and entertainment purposes only. May contain inaccuracies. Full disclaimerFound an error?

Seismic Swarm S20080603.1: Analysis of Activity Near El Centro, California

Seismic swarm S20080603.1 occurred in the Imperial Valley of southern California, centered 4 km south-southwest of El Centro. The sequence began at 23:52 UTC on 2 June 2008 and concluded at 11:34 UTC on 7 June 2008, spanning 107 hours and 42 minutes. During this interval, 54 earthquakes were recorded.

The events clustered at focal depths predominantly between 13 and 16 km, with isolated shallower and deeper occurrences ranging from 5 km to 19 km. Magnitudes remained modest, peaking at 2.9 on 3 June at 12:51:45 UTC. Other notable events included multiple shocks of magnitude 2.8 on 3 June and several of magnitude 2.5–2.6 distributed across the first three days. The majority of activity concentrated within the first 48 hours, after which event rates declined steadily.

This swarm fits the regional pattern of the Imperial Valley, part of the Salton Trough. The trough formed through oblique extension at the Pacific–North America plate boundary, where the San Andreas Fault system transitions into the Gulf of California rift. Right-lateral strike-slip motion along the Imperial and Brawley faults, combined with localized spreading centers beneath the Salton Sea, produces frequent earthquake swarms rather than isolated mainshock-aftershock sequences. Crustal temperatures are elevated due to recent volcanism and high heat flow, which may facilitate swarm behavior through fluid migration and aseismic slip.

Historical records maintained by SeismoSight indicate four prior swarms in the immediate area since 1 January 2000, occurring in 2000 (one swarm), 2003 (two swarms), and 2005 (one swarm). These episodes share similar magnitude ranges and durations, underscoring the recurrent nature of clustered seismicity in this portion of the Imperial Valley.

The 2008 swarm produced no reported damage or felt reports beyond light shaking near the epicentral zone, consistent with its maximum magnitude. Continued monitoring of the Brawley Seismic Zone remains important given its proximity to critical infrastructure and population centers.

References

SeismoSight internal swarm catalog (S20080603.1 parameters and historical swarm statistics).
United States Geological Survey Earthquake Hazards Program regional tectonic summaries for the Imperial Valley.