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Location:
13 km WNW of Calipatria, CA
Period:
3 Oct 2023 09:50:23 - 4 Oct 2023 21:09:06 (1 day 11 hours 18 minutes)
Volcanoes in 100km radius:
Salton Buttes(7km), Prieto, Cerro(83km)
Earthquakes:
29
104 swarms found nearby.
2000
11 May
2 days 10 hours
52 earthquakes
2001
S20011113.1(22.6km)
13 Nov
23 hours
99 earthquakes
2002
24 Feb
1 day 2 hours
31 earthquakes
2003
S20030301.1(24.2km)
1 Mar
23 hours
52 earthquakes
13 Apr
1 day 18 hours
32 earthquakes
S20030524.1(19.4km)
23 May
1 day 22 hours
161 earthquakes
20 Sep
1 day 8 hours
31 earthquakes
2004
15 Mar
2 days 20 hours
64 earthquakes
2005
29 Aug
10 hours
24 earthquakes
31 Aug
11 days 21 hours
953 earthquakes
S20050920.1(11.1km)
19 Sep
2 days 11 hours
50 earthquakes
2008
15 Mar
5 days 22 hours
111 earthquakes
27 May
9 hours
47 earthquakes
2 Jun
2 days 13 hours
145 earthquakes
29 Sep
1 day 4 hours
37 earthquakes
S20081030.1(27.0km)
30 Oct
2 days 14 hours
105 earthquakes
2009
S20090321.1(22.2km)
21 Mar
2 days 3 hours
50 earthquakes
S20090324.1(23.3km)
24 Mar
6 days 21 hours
410 earthquakes
17 Apr
1 day 13 hours
29 earthquakes
13 Jun
1 day 5 hours
53 earthquakes
VS20090801.1(10.4km)
1 Aug
3 days 10 hours
106 earthquakes
S20090924.1(14.0km)
24 Sep
19 hours
28 earthquakes
2 Oct
2 days 23 hours
43 earthquakes
S20091101.1(15.2km)
1 Nov
12 hours
26 earthquakes
7 Nov
5 hours
36 earthquakes
17 Nov
1 day 19 hours
142 earthquakes
23 Nov
4 days 3 hours
69 earthquakes
2010
10 Jan
10 days 2 hours
233 earthquakes
22 Jan
2 days 3 hours
46 earthquakes
21 Feb
1 day 20 hours
28 earthquakes
4 Apr
6 days 21 hours
132 earthquakes
PS20100405.1(105.5km)
4 Apr
1 hours
5 earthquakes
22 Apr
1 day 4 hours
38 earthquakes
5 Aug
1 day 0 hours
26 earthquakes
S20100828.1(16.8km)
28 Aug
1 day 2 hours
32 earthquakes
VS20101112.1(10.5km)
11 Nov
1 day 10 hours
28 earthquakes
13 Dec
12 hours
49 earthquakes
S20101215.1(14.0km)
15 Dec
1 day 4 hours
101 earthquakes
27 Dec
11 hours
66 earthquakes
31 Dec
1 day 14 hours
33 earthquakes
2011
7 Jan
2 days 20 hours
94 earthquakes
27 Mar
1 day 18 hours
42 earthquakes
2 Apr
1 day 12 hours
34 earthquakes
1 Jul
1 day 2 hours
36 earthquakes
2012
S20120209.1(10.1km)
8 Feb
2 days 0 hours
29 earthquakes
VS20120219.1(11.7km)
19 Feb
1 day 18 hours
86 earthquakes
26 Feb
2 days 1 hours
88 earthquakes
29 Feb
14 hours
34 earthquakes
3 Mar
3 days 11 hours
72 earthquakes
22 Mar
2 days 22 hours
73 earthquakes
20 May
2 days 1 hours
33 earthquakes
8 Jun
19 hours
95 earthquakes
S20120826.1(15.6km)
26 Aug
11 days 23 hours
972 earthquakes
S20120910.1(19.9km)
9 Sep
1 day 1 hours
28 earthquakes
24 Sep
1 day 17 hours
51 earthquakes
2013
18 Feb
4 days 14 hours
57 earthquakes
3 Apr
2 days 12 hours
59 earthquakes
28 Apr
2 days 2 hours
41 earthquakes
16 May
5 days 21 hours
135 earthquakes
3 Jun
3 days 15 hours
134 earthquakes
19 Aug
3 days 21 hours
47 earthquakes
27 Aug
1 day 17 hours
37 earthquakes
8 Oct
1 day 23 hours
83 earthquakes
13 Oct
2 days 10 hours
83 earthquakes
16 Oct
1 day 21 hours
50 earthquakes
31 Oct
16 hours
31 earthquakes
27 Nov
1 day 7 hours
52 earthquakes
21 Dec
1 day 8 hours
65 earthquakes
2014
28 Mar
1 day 16 hours
34 earthquakes
2015
21 May
1 day 13 hours
38 earthquakes
2016
29 Jul
1 day 9 hours
30 earthquakes
S20160926.1(15.9km)
26 Sep
6 days 7 hours
322 earthquakes
31 Oct
23 hours
39 earthquakes
S20161231.1(18.6km)
31 Dec
3 days 4 hours
317 earthquakes
2018
S20180513.1(29.6km)
13 May
2 days 22 hours
70 earthquakes
17 Jun
1 day 9 hours
26 earthquakes
2019
S20190115.1(29.7km)
15 Jan
4 hours
24 earthquakes
17 Jan
4 days 13 hours
71 earthquakes
2020
5 May
1 day 14 hours
56 earthquakes
9 Aug
4 days 12 hours
319 earthquakes
30 Sep
9 days 1 hours
1724 earthquakes
22 Oct
2 days 5 hours
53 earthquakes
13 Nov
23 hours
38 earthquakes
26 Nov
1 day 10 hours
27 earthquakes
2021
4 Jan
21 hours
43 earthquakes
10 Jan
6 hours
26 earthquakes
31 Jan
23 hours
38 earthquakes
8 Feb
3 days 9 hours
117 earthquakes
18 Mar
14 hours
27 earthquakes
4 Jun
19 days 4 hours
2347 earthquakes
S20210611.1(20.8km)
11 Jun
4 hours
26 earthquakes
23 Aug
2 days 11 hours
48 earthquakes
2022
S20220420.1(24.4km)
19 Apr
3 days 1 hours
71 earthquakes
20 Sep
23 hours
39 earthquakes
2023
30 Apr
17 hours
68 earthquakes
9 Dec
18 hours
34 earthquakes
2024
10 Feb
1 day 21 hours
26 earthquakes
14 Feb
1 day 12 hours
31 earthquakes
S20240518.1(23.2km)
18 May
2 days 19 hours
306 earthquakes
20 Dec
12 hours
48 earthquakes
2025
10 Apr
1 day 9 hours
64 earthquakes
22 Apr
10 hours
28 earthquakes
11 Jul
1 day 18 hours
132 earthquakes
2026
S20260510.1(18.3km)
9 May
4 days 16 hours
477 earthquakes
AI-generated article — for informational and entertainment purposes only. May contain inaccuracies. Full disclaimerFound an error?

Earthquake Swarm VS20231003.1: Seismic Activity Near Calipatria, California

An earthquake swarm designated VS20231003.1 occurred 13 km west-northwest of Calipatria, California, beginning at 09:50 UTC on 3 October 2023 and concluding at 21:09 UTC on 4 October 2023. Over 35 hours and 18 minutes, the sequence produced 29 earthquakes, all of small magnitude and shallow depth. The events clustered tightly in time, with the majority occurring within the first 12 hours on 3 October.

The swarm exhibited typical characteristics of low-magnitude, high-frequency seismic sequences common in the region. Magnitudes ranged from 0.8 to 2.1, with peak activity including events of 2.1 and 2.0. Focal depths remained predominantly between 2 km and 5 km, indicating shallow crustal sources. Later events on 4 October reached slightly greater depths of 6–7 km but maintained similar magnitudes below 2.0. No single mainshock dominated the sequence; instead, energy released through numerous comparable events.

This activity aligns with the tectonic framework of the Imperial Valley within the Salton Trough. The region forms part of the Pacific–North American plate boundary, where right-lateral transform motion along the San Andreas system transitions into extensional spreading. The Imperial and Brawley faults, along with associated cross-faults, accommodate both strike-slip and normal faulting. Elevated heat flow and fluid migration linked to the nearby Salton Sea geothermal field further promote swarm-type seismicity rather than classic mainshock–aftershock patterns.

Historical records document persistent swarm behavior in this zone. Since 1 January 2000, 95 swarms have been identified in the immediate area. Annual counts show notable concentrations in 2010 and 2013 (13 swarms each), 2012 (11 swarms), and 2009 (11 swarms). Earlier years such as 2003, 2008, and 2021 also recorded multiple episodes, underscoring the recurrent nature of clustered microseismicity driven by the local fault network and fluid dynamics.

The October 2023 swarm fits within this established pattern. Its short duration, limited magnitude range, and shallow depths mirror previous episodes, suggesting ongoing adjustment along minor fault segments without escalation to larger ruptures. Such swarms contribute to the gradual release of tectonic strain in the Imperial Valley and provide valuable data for monitoring crustal stress and fluid involvement.

References

  • SeismoSight internal swarm classification records for VS20231003.1 and historical swarm statistics (2000–2023).
  • United States Geological Survey (USGS) regional tectonic summaries for the Imperial Valley and Salton Trough.