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Location:
23km NNE of Trona, CA
Period:
4 Mar 2014 04:57:55 - 8 Mar 2014 19:24:42 (4 days 14 hours 26 minutes)
Volcanoes in 100km radius:
None
Earthquakes:
79
11 swarms found nearby.
2002
28 Sep
1 day 21 hours
48 earthquakes
2008
S20080510.1(28.0km)
9 May
2 days 4 hours
47 earthquakes
29 Nov
16 days 16 hours
369 earthquakes
2015
S20150217.1(29.6km)
16 Feb
11 days 1 hours
139 earthquakes
2019
S20190705.2(10.0km)
4 Jul
29 days 2 hours
2446 earthquakes
5 Jul
39 days 7 hours
2694 earthquakes
5 Jul
12 days 17 hours
712 earthquakes
6 Jul
8 days 16 hours
302 earthquakes
S20190708.2(15.9km)
7 Jul
4 days 17 hours
70 earthquakes
2020
23 Mar
4 days 2 hours
52 earthquakes
S20201030.1(27.5km)
29 Oct
2 days 2 hours
54 earthquakes
AI-generated article — for informational and entertainment purposes only. May contain inaccuracies. Full disclaimerFound an error?

Seismic Swarm Near Trona, California: March 2014 Event Analysis

The March 2014 seismic swarm, classified internally as S20140305.1, occurred 23 km north-northeast of Trona, California, in the Mojave Desert region of San Bernardino County. This area lies within the Eastern California Shear Zone, where active strike-slip faulting accommodates regional tectonic strain between the Pacific and North American plates. The local geology features Quaternary alluvial deposits overlying older metamorphic and igneous basement rocks, with nearby Searles Lake basin sediments reflecting long-term arid climatic conditions and episodic lake-level fluctuations during the Pleistocene.

The swarm initiated at 04:57 on 4 March 2014 and concluded at 19:24 on 8 March 2014, spanning 110 hours and 26 minutes. During this interval, 79 earthquakes were recorded. Event magnitudes ranged from 0.6 to 3.7, with the largest shock measuring 3.7 at a depth of 5 km on 4 March at 22:49:32 UTC. Depths predominantly clustered between 5 km and 9 km, though a few events registered at shallower or negative values, consistent with near-surface activity or minor location uncertainties typical in swarm sequences.

Temporal distribution showed peak activity on 4 and 5 March, with multiple events exceeding magnitude 2.0 concentrated in the evening hours of 4 March. Subsequent days featured lower-frequency but persistent smaller-magnitude events through 8 March. This pattern aligns with fluid-driven or aseismic slip processes often observed in swarm sequences rather than classic mainshock-aftershock decay.

Historically, the region has experienced limited swarm activity since 2000. Only two prior swarms are documented in the internal record: one event in 2002 and two in 2008. The 2014 sequence represents the third such episode in the catalog, underscoring the intermittent nature of clustered seismicity near Trona.

The broader tectonic setting includes proximity to the Garlock Fault and segments of the Little Lake Fault zone, both capable of producing moderate earthquakes. Updated regional monitoring by the USGS confirms ongoing low-level background seismicity in the Searles Valley area, with no significant surface rupture associated with the 2014 swarm.

References

USGS Earthquake Catalog California Geological Survey Regional Fault Maps SeismoSight Internal Swarm Classification Database