Location:

Period:

10 May 2020 22:07:40 - 16 May 2020 21:01:01 (5 days 22 hours 53 minutes)

Volcanoes in 100km radius:

Salton Buttes(42km), Prieto, Cerro(93km)

Earthquakes:

133

15 swarms found nearby.

2006

S20060630.1(24.7km)

29 Jun

5 days 14 hours

126 earthquakes

S20061129.1(21.7km)

29 Nov

1 day 4 hours

34 earthquakes

2007

S20070117.1(26.5km)

17 Jan

3 days 20 hours

64 earthquakes

2008

S20081030.1(13.8km)

30 Oct

2 days 14 hours

105 earthquakes

2009

S20090721.1(20.2km)

20 Jul

1 day 10 hours

32 earthquakes

S20091101.1(29.9km)

1 Nov

12 hours

26 earthquakes

2010

S20100404.1(23.9km)

3 Apr

55 days 14 hours

4548 earthquakes

S20100405.5(29.4km)

4 Apr

23 days 16 hours

571 earthquakes

PS20100405.1(111.0km)

4 Apr

1 hours

5 earthquakes

S20100517.2(17.3km)

16 May

3 days 18 hours

47 earthquakes

2018

S20180513.1(11.2km)

13 May

2 days 22 hours

70 earthquakes

2021

S20210819.1(8.4km)

18 Aug

2 days 0 hours

37 earthquakes

2024

S20240803.1(24.6km)

2 Aug

2 days 23 hours

54 earthquakes

2026

S20260518.1(10.4km)

18 May

3 hours

43 earthquakes

S20260702.1(28.9km)

1 Jul

1 day 21 hours

31 earthquakes

AI-generated article — for informational and entertainment purposes only. May contain inaccuracies. Full disclaimerFound an error?

Seismic Swarm S20200510.1: Analysis of the May 2020 Earthquake Sequence Near Ocotillo Wells, California

An earthquake swarm designated S20200510.1 occurred in southern California, centered 18 km southeast of Ocotillo Wells. The sequence began at 22:07 UTC on 10 May 2020 and concluded at 21:01 UTC on 16 May 2020, spanning 142 hours and 53 minutes. During this period, 133 earthquakes were recorded.

The swarm initiated with a magnitude 4.5 event at a depth of 10 km. Subsequent activity featured predominantly small-magnitude events, with the majority below magnitude 2.0. Depths ranged from 2 km to 12 km, clustering around 7–8 km. Analysis of the first 100 events reveals a rapid initial rate of occurrence, with 20 events in the first hour. Magnitudes peaked early, followed by a gradual decline in both frequency and size. Notable events included magnitudes of 2.9 on 11 May at 00:44 UTC (depth 8 km) and 2.6 on 11 May at 12:30 UTC (depth 8 km). Depths showed minor variation but remained consistent with shallow crustal activity.

This region lies within the tectonically active Peninsular Ranges province of California, near the boundary between the Pacific and North American plates. The area is influenced by the San Andreas Fault system, including strands such as the Coyote Creek and Elsinore faults. Historical seismicity features distributed shallow events often linked to fluid movement along fault networks rather than mainshock-aftershock sequences. The Imperial Valley and adjacent Salton Trough exhibit high geothermal gradients and frequent swarm activity due to extensional tectonics and crustal thinning.

Since 2000, eleven swarms have been documented in the vicinity. These occurred in 2006 (two swarms), 2007 (one), 2008 (one), 2009 (two), 2010 (four), and 2018 (one). Such recurrent swarms underscore the area's persistent seismic character without producing large destructive earthquakes in recent decades.

The 2020 swarm aligns with established patterns of low-to-moderate magnitude activity at shallow depths. No surface rupture was reported, consistent with the modest energy release. Monitoring by regional networks confirms the sequence remained localized.

References

USGS Earthquake Catalog (earthquake.usgs.gov)
California Geological Survey Fault Activity Map
Southern California Seismic Network reports