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Note:This page contains AI-generated content for informational and entertainment purposes only. It may contain inaccuracies. Raw event data is from USGS and EMSC. All statistics, lists, and derived information are generated by this site. Full disclaimerFound an error?
Location:
23 km NNW of Dyer, Nevada
Period:
9 May 2000 06:39:31 - 10 May 2000 04:33:47 (21 hours 54 minutes)
Volcanoes in 100km radius:
Mono-Inyo Craters(71km), Mono Lake Volcanic Field(73km), Mammoth Mountain(75km)
Earthquakes:
65
8 swarms found nearby.
2000
4 Mar
17 hours
71 earthquakes
6 Jun
2 days 2 hours
60 earthquakes
21 Jun
2 days 3 hours
130 earthquakes
31 Jul
1 day 1 hours
31 earthquakes
17 Aug
1 day 8 hours
45 earthquakes
2013
S20130213.1(27.4km)
12 Feb
11 days 5 hours
345 earthquakes
2021
S20210115.1(29.9km)
15 Jan
1 day 14 hours
89 earthquakes
S20210117.2(29.8km)
17 Jan
1 day 7 hours
25 earthquakes
AI-generated article — for informational and entertainment purposes only. May contain inaccuracies. Full disclaimerFound an error?

Seismic Swarm S20000509.1 near Dyer, Nevada: A Detailed Examination

Seismic swarm S20000509.1 was recorded 23 km NNW of Dyer, Nevada, from 06:39 on 9 May 2000 to 04:33 on 10 May 2000. The sequence lasted 21 hours and 54 minutes and comprised 65 earthquakes. All events were of low magnitude, with the largest reaching 2.6. Depths ranged between 2 km and 11 km, clustering predominantly around 5–8 km.

The swarm exhibited classic characteristics of distributed microseismicity without a dominant mainshock. Early activity on 9 May included events of magnitude 0.8 at 06:39, followed rapidly by smaller shocks. Peak energy release occurred later that morning and afternoon, featuring magnitudes of 2.2 at 08:01, 2.3 at 08:47, 2.4 at 10:32, and 2.6 at 16:52. Activity then declined steadily, concluding with a magnitude 0.5 event at 04:33 on 10 May. Depths remained shallow throughout, consistent with brittle failure in the upper crust.

This sequence represents the sole swarm documented in the region since 1 January 2000. No prior swarms are recorded in the available catalog for the same location.

The epicentral area lies within the Basin and Range Province of western Nevada, a tectonically active extensional domain. Regional deformation is accommodated by normal and strike-slip faults that accommodate crustal stretching at rates of several millimeters per year. The Fish Lake Valley fault system and adjacent structures of the Walker Lane belt influence local seismicity. Small-magnitude swarms in this setting commonly arise from transient increases in pore-fluid pressure along pre-existing fractures rather than from magmatic intrusion.

Historical earthquake records for Esmeralda County show predominantly isolated events of magnitude less than 4.0. The May 2000 swarm fits within this pattern of low-level, clustered activity that releases strain without producing damaging ground motion.

Seismicity parameters indicate a compact source volume. Event depths suggest rupture within the seismogenic zone typical of the central Great Basin. No surface rupture or felt reports of significance were associated with the sequence.

References

  • SeismoSight internal swarm classification S20000509.1
  • USGS Earthquake Catalog (events 2000–present, queried for Nevada coordinates)