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Location:
21km WNW of Searles Valley, CA
Period:
22 Dec 2019 06:59:26 - 1 Jan 2020 11:24:49 (10 days 4 hours 25 minutes)
Volcanoes in 100km radius:
None
Earthquakes:
196
33 swarms found nearby.
2013
3 May
1 day 22 hours
37 earthquakes
2019
4 Jul
221 days 12 hours
22493 earthquakes
4 Jul
75 days 9 hours
8149 earthquakes
S20190708.2(26.1km)
7 Jul
4 days 17 hours
70 earthquakes
S20190712.1(23.1km)
11 Jul
16 hours
29 earthquakes
S20190812.1(11.1km)
12 Aug
3 days 6 hours
50 earthquakes
S20190825.1(26.3km)
24 Aug
3 days 7 hours
165 earthquakes
8 Sep
1 day 13 hours
47 earthquakes
S20190910.1(18.6km)
10 Sep
3 days 21 hours
145 earthquakes
1 Oct
4 days 13 hours
127 earthquakes
S20191005.1(27.6km)
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
2020
10 Jan
22 days 10 hours
422 earthquakes
22 Jan
17 hours
24 earthquakes
S20200208.1(10.1km)
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(15.5km)
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
S20200727.1(13.1km)
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(27.4km)
3 Apr
11 days 13 hours
124 earthquakes
2022
S20220715.1(14.4km)
14 Jul
4 days 3 hours
55 earthquakes
AI-generated article — for informational and entertainment purposes only. May contain inaccuracies. Full disclaimerFound an error?

Seismic Swarm S20191223.1 Near Searles Valley, California

Seismic swarm S20191223.1 was recorded in the Searles Valley region of California, beginning at 06:59 on 22 December 2019 and concluding at 11:24 on 1 January 2020. The events occurred approximately 21 km west-northwest of Searles Valley, with a total of 196 earthquakes detected over 244 hours and 25 minutes.

Analysis of the first 100 events reveals predominantly low-magnitude activity. Magnitudes ranged from negative values to a peak of 2.8, with the majority falling between 0.0 and 1.5. Depths were shallow, typically between 2 km and 13 km, indicating activity within the upper crust. Temporal distribution showed clusters of events, particularly on 22–25 December, with several instances of multiple quakes occurring within minutes. Higher-magnitude events, such as the 2.8 on 24 December at 09:10, were interspersed with numerous smaller tremors, consistent with swarm behavior rather than a mainshock-aftershock sequence.

Historically, the area has experienced recurrent seismic swarms. Since 1 January 2000, 18 swarms have been documented, including one in 2013 and 17 in 2019. This pattern underscores ongoing tectonic strain in the region.

Geologically, Searles Valley lies within the Mojave Desert portion of the Eastern California Shear Zone, a zone of distributed right-lateral shear accommodating Pacific-North America plate motion. The local geology features Quaternary alluvium overlying older sedimentary and volcanic rocks, with active faulting influenced by the nearby Garlock Fault to the north and elements of the San Andreas system. The shallow focal depths align with brittle failure in this transtensional regime. Updated regional monitoring confirms persistent microseismicity linked to these structures.

References
USGS Earthquake Catalog
California Geological Survey regional reports
SeismoSight internal swarm classification data