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Location:
14km SW of Searles Valley, CA
Period:
8 Sep 2019 14:13:09 - 10 Sep 2019 03:53:10 (1 day 13 hours 40 minutes)
Volcanoes in 100km radius:
None
Earthquakes:
47
37 swarms found nearby.
2013
3 May
1 day 22 hours
37 earthquakes
2015
S20150602.1(27.1km)
1 Jun
1 day 6 hours
36 earthquakes
2019
4 Jul
221 days 12 hours
22493 earthquakes
4 Jul
75 days 9 hours
8149 earthquakes
S20190708.2(24.9km)
7 Jul
4 days 17 hours
70 earthquakes
S20190712.1(19.7km)
11 Jul
16 hours
29 earthquakes
S20190812.1(14.7km)
12 Aug
3 days 6 hours
50 earthquakes
S20190825.1(23.0km)
24 Aug
3 days 7 hours
165 earthquakes
S20190910.1(15.2km)
10 Sep
3 days 21 hours
145 earthquakes
1 Oct
4 days 13 hours
127 earthquakes
S20191005.1(24.3km)
5 Oct
3 days 16 hours
147 earthquakes
5 Oct
1 day 18 hours
26 earthquakes
13 Oct
1 day 23 hours
36 earthquakes
15 Oct
2 days 23 hours
108 earthquakes
30 Nov
2 days 16 hours
49 earthquakes
1 Dec
9 days 6 hours
252 earthquakes
13 Dec
22 hours
27 earthquakes
15 Dec
6 days 12 hours
188 earthquakes
22 Dec
10 days 4 hours
196 earthquakes
2020
S20200101.1(28.6km)
1 Jan
7 days 0 hours
130 earthquakes
10 Jan
22 days 10 hours
422 earthquakes
22 Jan
17 hours
24 earthquakes
7 Feb
1 day 19 hours
44 earthquakes
12 Feb
5 days 22 hours
159 earthquakes
21 Feb
5 days 20 hours
94 earthquakes
S20200322.1(12.2km)
21 Mar
10 days 13 hours
140 earthquakes
14 Apr
7 days 19 hours
130 earthquakes
8 May
3 days 21 hours
69 earthquakes
25 May
1 day 7 hours
31 earthquakes
3 Jun
9 days 16 hours
525 earthquakes
S20200708.3(26.8km)
7 Jul
13 days 9 hours
239 earthquakes
S20200727.1(10.2km)
27 Jul
13 days 20 hours
183 earthquakes
13 Aug
7 days 2 hours
81 earthquakes
21 Sep
5 days 2 hours
99 earthquakes
2021
S20210404.1(24.1km)
3 Apr
11 days 13 hours
124 earthquakes
2022
S20220715.1(10.8km)
14 Jul
4 days 3 hours
55 earthquakes
2023
S20230503.1(27.2km)
2 May
1 day 6 hours
32 earthquakes
AI-generated article — for informational and entertainment purposes only. May contain inaccuracies. Full disclaimerFound an error?

Seismic Swarm S20190909.2: Analysis of Activity Near Searles Valley, California

Seismic swarm S20190909.2 was recorded in the Searles Valley region of California, beginning at 14:13 on 8 September 2019 and concluding at 03:53 on 10 September 2019. Over 37 hours and 40 minutes, 47 earthquakes were detected, with magnitudes ranging from 0.5 to 2.2 and focal depths between 1 and 11 km. The events clustered approximately 14 km southwest of Searles Valley, an area situated in the Mojave Desert within San Bernardino County.

The swarm exhibited typical characteristics of clustered seismicity, with the largest event reaching magnitude 2.2 at a depth of 6 km early in the sequence. Subsequent activity included multiple events of magnitude 1.0–1.9 distributed across shallow to mid-crustal depths, indicating possible involvement of local fault structures and fluid-related processes. Depths predominantly fell between 3 and 9 km, consistent with brittle failure in the upper crust of this tectonically active zone.

Searles Valley lies within the Eastern California Shear Zone, a broad region of distributed right-lateral strike-slip deformation that accommodates a portion of the Pacific-North America plate motion. The local geology consists of Quaternary alluvial deposits, playa sediments associated with Searles Lake, and underlying basement rocks of Mesozoic age. This setting experiences recurrent seismic activity due to its position between the San Andreas Fault system to the west and the Basin and Range province to the east. Historical records show that earthquake swarms have occurred periodically in the vicinity, reflecting stress adjustments along minor faults rather than mainshock-aftershock sequences driven by a single large rupture.

Since 2000, eight swarms have been identified in the area, with notable occurrences in 2013 (one swarm), 2015 (one swarm), and six swarms in 2019. These episodes underscore the persistent low-to-moderate level of background seismicity in the region, often linked to tectonic loading and occasional magmatic or hydrothermal influences at depth.

The 2019 swarm fits within this pattern of episodic clustering, providing data for refining models of fault interaction in the shear zone. No significant surface rupture or damage was associated with these events, as expected given the modest magnitudes.

References

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