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Location:
8km ENE of Ridgecrest, CA
Period:
13 Aug 2020 20:37:55 - 20 Aug 2020 23:19:02 (7 days 2 hours 41 minutes)
Volcanoes in 100km radius:
None
Earthquakes:
81
31 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(29.1km)
7 Jul
4 days 17 hours
70 earthquakes
S20190712.1(26.0km)
11 Jul
16 hours
29 earthquakes
12 Aug
3 days 6 hours
50 earthquakes
S20190825.1(29.2km)
24 Aug
3 days 7 hours
165 earthquakes
8 Sep
1 day 13 hours
47 earthquakes
S20190910.1(21.4km)
10 Sep
3 days 21 hours
145 earthquakes
1 Oct
4 days 13 hours
127 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
22 Jan
17 hours
24 earthquakes
S20200208.1(13.0km)
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(18.4km)
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(16.1km)
27 Jul
13 days 20 hours
183 earthquakes
21 Sep
5 days 2 hours
99 earthquakes
2022
S20220715.1(17.1km)
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 S20200814.1: Analysis of Activity Near Ridgecrest, California

Seismic swarm S20200814.1 was recorded in the region 8 km east-northeast of Ridgecrest, California. The sequence began at 20:37 on 13 August 2020 and concluded at 23:19 on 20 August 2020, spanning 170 hours and 41 minutes. During this period, 81 earthquakes were detected, with magnitudes ranging from -0.4 to 2.8 and focal depths primarily between 1 km and 12 km.

The swarm exhibited a typical pattern of clustered, low-to-moderate magnitude events without a dominant mainshock. Notable activity included a magnitude 2.0 event at 09:24 on 15 August, another magnitude 2.0 at 11:52 on the same day, and the largest event of magnitude 2.8 at 08:33 on 16 August, all at depths of 4–9 km. Later events on 18 August reached magnitude 2.0, while the sequence tapered with smaller shocks through 20 August. Depths remained consistent in the upper crust, reflecting shallow faulting common to the area.

This swarm aligns with the broader seismic character of the Ridgecrest region, situated in the Eastern California Shear Zone. The zone features distributed right-lateral strike-slip faults that accommodate Pacific-North American plate motion. The Little Lake Fault and nearby segments have hosted historical activity, including the significant 2019 Ridgecrest sequence of magnitude 6.4 foreshock and magnitude 7.1 mainshock events that ruptured multiple fault strands over tens of kilometers.

Historical data indicate 29 swarms in the region since 1 January 2000. These occurred in 2013 (1 swarm), 2019 (17 swarms), and 2020 (11 swarms), underscoring episodic clustered seismicity amid the background tectonic strain.

The 2020 swarm contributes to ongoing monitoring of post-2019 stress adjustments in the shear zone. Such sequences often arise from fluid migration or aseismic slip triggering brittle failure on small fault patches, though precise mechanisms require further geodetic analysis.

References:
USGS Earthquake Hazards Program catalog for Ridgecrest area seismicity.
California Geological Survey reports on the Eastern California Shear Zone tectonics.
SeismoSight internal swarm classification records for event parameters.