Location:

Period:

4 Mar 2000 16:13:22 - 5 Mar 2000 09:18:31 (17 hours 5 minutes)

Volcanoes in 100km radius:

Mono-Inyo Craters(70km), Mono Lake Volcanic Field(73km), Mammoth Mountain(74km)

Earthquakes:

8 swarms found nearby.

2000

S20000509.1(0.7km)

9 May

21 hours

65 earthquakes

S20000607.2(1.9km)

6 Jun

2 days 2 hours

60 earthquakes

S20000622.1(6.9km)

21 Jun

2 days 3 hours

130 earthquakes

S20000801.1(1.4km)

31 Jul

1 day 1 hours

31 earthquakes

S20000818.1(1.1km)

17 Aug

1 day 8 hours

45 earthquakes

2003

S20030417.1(30.0km)

17 Apr

1 day 8 hours

27 earthquakes

2013

S20130213.1(28.0km)

12 Feb

11 days 5 hours

345 earthquakes

2021

S20210115.1(29.9km)

15 Jan

1 day 14 hours

89 earthquakes

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Seismic Swarm S20000304.1 Near Dyer, Nevada: Geological Context and Event Analysis

Seismic swarm S20000304.1 occurred 23 km NNW of Dyer, Nevada, from 16:13 on 4 March 2000 to 09:18 on 5 March 2000. The sequence lasted 17 hours and 5 minutes and included 71 earthquakes. This event cluster provides insight into localized seismic behavior within the Basin and Range Province.

The swarm featured a maximum magnitude of 4.1 and a minimum of 0.3. Depths ranged primarily between 0 and 9 km, with many events concentrated in the upper 6 km. Notable larger events included magnitudes of 3.5 (twice), 3.4 (twice), 3.3, 3.1, and multiple 3.0 shocks. Smaller events dominated the later stages, illustrating typical swarm decay patterns where initial energetic releases give way to lower-magnitude after-activity.

The region lies in western Nevada’s extensional tectonic setting, part of the Walker Lane shear zone. This area accommodates right-lateral deformation between the Pacific and North American plates. Normal and strike-slip faults control seismicity, producing shallow crustal earthquakes. Historical records document recurrent swarms in adjacent counties, often linked to fluid migration or stress triggering along fault networks.

Dyer sits near the California border in Esmeralda County. The local geology comprises Quaternary alluvial deposits overlying Paleozoic and Mesozoic basement rocks cut by Cenozoic normal faults. Updated regional studies confirm ongoing low-to-moderate seismicity consistent with the 2000 swarm’s characteristics.

Analysis of event timing shows the highest rate of occurrence in the first three hours, followed by a steady decline. Depth distribution indicates most activity remained above 8 km, suggesting brittle failure within the shallow seismogenic zone. Magnitude-frequency patterns align with swarm behavior rather than mainshock-aftershock sequences, lacking a single dominant event.

This swarm underscores the value of dense seismic monitoring for understanding transient activity in tectonically active basins. Continued observation supports improved hazard assessment for nearby communities.

References

USGS Earthquake Catalog (historical data for Nevada, 2000)
Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, Seismic Hazards reports
SeismoSight internal swarm classification records