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Location:
18 km S of Searles Valley, CA
Period:
22 Jan 2020 02:44:12 - 22 Jan 2020 20:08:08 (17 hours 23 minutes)
Volcanoes in 100km radius:
None
Earthquakes:
24
34 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(26.5km)
7 Jul
4 days 17 hours
70 earthquakes
S20190712.1(22.9km)
11 Jul
16 hours
29 earthquakes
S20190812.1(11.4km)
12 Aug
3 days 6 hours
50 earthquakes
S20190825.1(26.1km)
24 Aug
3 days 7 hours
165 earthquakes
8 Sep
1 day 13 hours
47 earthquakes
S20190910.1(18.3km)
10 Sep
3 days 21 hours
145 earthquakes
1 Oct
4 days 13 hours
127 earthquakes
S20191005.1(27.4km)
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
10 Jan
22 days 10 hours
422 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(15.3km)
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(30.0km)
7 Jul
13 days 9 hours
239 earthquakes
S20200727.1(13.0km)
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(27.2km)
3 Apr
11 days 13 hours
124 earthquakes
2022
S20220715.1(14.0km)
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 S20200122.3: Analysis of Activity near Searles Valley, California

Seismic swarm S20200122.3 was recorded on 22 January 2020, beginning at 02:44 UTC and concluding at 20:08 UTC. The events were located 18 km south of Searles Valley in San Bernardino County, California. Over a period of 17 hours and 23 minutes, a total of 24 earthquakes were detected.

The swarm exhibited low magnitudes, ranging from -0.4 to 2.3, with focal depths between 2 km and 10 km. The sequence included multiple events clustered in the early morning hours, followed by sporadic activity throughout the day. The largest event reached magnitude 2.3 at 08:06 UTC at a depth of 8 km. Smaller events dominated the later phases, with several registering below magnitude 1.0. Depths remained relatively consistent in the shallow crustal range, typical of regional tectonic settings.

Searles Valley occupies a portion of the Mojave Desert within the Basin and Range province. The local geology features Quaternary lakebed sediments overlying older volcanic and metamorphic rocks, shaped by extensional tectonics and strike-slip faulting. The area lies near the intersection of the Garlock Fault and strands associated with the Eastern California Shear Zone, contributing to elevated background seismicity. Historical records indicate recurrent low-level earthquake clusters in this zone, reflecting ongoing strain accommodation along regional fault networks.

Since 1 January 2000, 20 swarms have occurred in the vicinity. Prior activity included one swarm in 2013 and 18 in 2019, with the 2020 event marking the first of that year. These patterns align with the region's tectonic framework, where swarms often represent distributed microseismicity rather than foreshock sequences leading to larger mainshocks.

The 2020 swarm remained minor, with no reported damage or felt reports beyond instrumental detection. Such events provide data for refining local velocity models and understanding fault interactions in the Searles Valley area.

References

USGS Earthquake Catalog (earthquake.usgs.gov)
California Geological Survey regional fault maps
SeismoSight internal swarm classification records