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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:
38 km S of Goldfield, Nevada
Period:
6 Jun 2000 05:27:25 - 14 Jun 2000 04:08:52 (7 days 22 hours 41 minutes)
Volcanoes in 100km radius:
Ubehebe Craters(51km)
Earthquakes:
86
18 swarms found nearby.
2001
8 Jul
1 day 15 hours
29 earthquakes
2002
2 Dec
1 day 23 hours
37 earthquakes
2006
26 May
4 days 17 hours
173 earthquakes
2007
24 Jan
2 days 15 hours
85 earthquakes
4 Jul
2 days 20 hours
47 earthquakes
2010
3 Jul
1 day 3 hours
38 earthquakes
2011
17 Apr
2 days 12 hours
62 earthquakes
17 Jul
1 day 18 hours
35 earthquakes
2012
17 Dec
7 days 12 hours
440 earthquakes
2015
S20150214.1(29.4km)
14 Feb
9 days 9 hours
434 earthquakes
3 Jun
2 days 10 hours
48 earthquakes
2017
23 Nov
1 day 13 hours
34 earthquakes
2021
4 Oct
4 days 10 hours
69 earthquakes
2024
18 Jun
7 days 14 hours
102 earthquakes
15 Dec
1 day 15 hours
28 earthquakes
22 Dec
2 days 7 hours
49 earthquakes
31 Dec
3 days 8 hours
65 earthquakes
2025
19 Apr
2 days 13 hours
49 earthquakes
AI-generated article — for informational and entertainment purposes only. May contain inaccuracies. Full disclaimerFound an error?

Seismic Swarm S20000607.1: June 2000 Earthquake Sequence South of Goldfield, Nevada

A notable earthquake swarm, designated S20000607.1, occurred approximately 38 km south of Goldfield, Nevada, between 05:27 UTC on 6 June 2000 and 04:08 UTC on 14 June 2000. Over 190 hours and 41 minutes, the sequence produced 86 events, providing a clear example of swarm-type seismicity in the Basin and Range Province.

The sequence began with two closely spaced events at 05:27:25 and 05:27:53 UTC, registering magnitudes 1.9 and 1.6 at depths of 4 km and 0 km, respectively. Activity intensified rapidly, culminating in the largest event of the swarm—a magnitude 3.4 earthquake at 05:32:18 UTC and 4 km depth. Subsequent events remained predominantly shallow, with the majority occurring at depths between 0 km and 6 km. Only a small number exceeded 10 km depth, including isolated events at 11 km, 12 km, 14 km, and 17 km.

Magnitudes clustered between 0.3 and 2.1 after the initial peak, with most events falling in the 0.8–1.6 range. Notable later shocks included a magnitude 2.1 event on 8 June at 05:12:50 UTC (0 km depth) and several magnitude 1.9 events distributed across 6–12 June. The final recorded event on 14 June reached magnitude 1.5 at 4 km depth.

Depth distribution indicates that the majority of rupture occurred within the upper crust, consistent with normal faulting typical of the region. The temporal pattern shows an initial energetic phase followed by a prolonged decline in both frequency and magnitude, characteristic of fluid-driven or stress-triggered swarm behavior rather than a classic mainshock-aftershock sequence.

Regional Geological Context

Goldfield lies within Esmeralda County in western Nevada, part of the tectonically active Basin and Range Province. This extensional regime features numerous north-trending normal faults that accommodate east-west stretching of the crust. The area south of Goldfield sits near the transition between the central Nevada seismic belt and the Walker Lane shear zone, where both normal and strike-slip faulting occur.

Historical seismicity in the Goldfield mining district includes both natural events and possible mining-related activity dating back to the early twentieth century. The district experienced significant gold and silver extraction between 1900 and 1920, which locally altered stress conditions through fluid withdrawal and underground excavation. Contemporary monitoring by the Nevada Seismological Laboratory and the U.S. Geological Survey confirms that small-magnitude swarms remain common throughout the region.

The June 2000 swarm aligns with this background of diffuse, low-magnitude seismicity. No surface rupture was reported, and all events remained below the threshold for widespread felt shaking. The shallow focal depths suggest activation of minor faults or fracture networks within the upper 5–10 km of crust.

SeismoSight Classification

Internal SeismoSight analysis classifies S20000607.1 as a classic swarm on the basis of its gradual onset, lack of a dominant mainshock, and extended duration with steadily decreasing event rates. The dataset contains no evidence of foreshock-mainshock-aftershock progression.

References

  • U.S. Geological Survey Earthquake Catalog
  • Nevada Seismological Laboratory regional seismicity reports
  • USGS Professional Paper on Basin and Range tectonics
  • SeismoSight internal swarm classification records