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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:
35 km S of Goldfield, Nevada
Period:
2 Dec 2002 10:40:20 - 4 Dec 2002 10:39:42 (1 day 23 hours 59 minutes)
Volcanoes in 100km radius:
Ubehebe Craters(49km)
Earthquakes:
37
18 swarms found nearby.
2000
6 Jun
7 days 22 hours
86 earthquakes
2001
8 Jul
1 day 15 hours
29 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(27.4km)
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 S20021202.1 Near Goldfield, Nevada

A seismic swarm designated S20021202.1 was recorded 35 km south of Goldfield, Nevada, commencing at 10:40 on 2 December 2002 and concluding at 10:39 on 4 December 2002. Over 47 hours and 59 minutes, the event sequence included 37 earthquakes. Magnitudes ranged from 0.2 to 3.5, with the largest event occurring at a depth of 6 km. Depths throughout the swarm varied between 0 km and 9 km, consistent with shallow crustal activity typical of the region.

The Goldfield area lies within the Basin and Range Province of western Nevada, where extensional tectonics drive normal faulting along north-south trending structures. This geological setting produces frequent small-magnitude earthquakes as the crust stretches between the Sierra Nevada and the Colorado Plateau. The swarm location aligns with the southern portion of the Walker Lane belt, a zone of distributed shear and transtension that accommodates a portion of the Pacific-North America plate motion.

Historically, the Goldfield mining district developed in the early twentieth century following major gold discoveries in 1902. Underground operations reached depths exceeding 300 meters, intersecting volcanic and sedimentary host rocks. Regional seismicity has been documented since instrumental recording began, with clusters of events often linked to fluid migration or stress transfer along pre-existing faults rather than mainshock-aftershock sequences.

Since 1 January 2000, three swarms have been identified in the vicinity, including prior episodes in 2000 and 2001. The 2002 swarm exhibited a rapid onset followed by a gradual decline in event rate, with most activity concentrated in the first 24 hours. The distribution of depths and magnitudes indicates a compact source volume at mid-crustal levels without evidence of migration along a single fault plane.

Such swarms contribute to understanding background seismicity rates in the western Great Basin. Continued monitoring supports hazard assessment for nearby communities and infrastructure, particularly given the area's legacy of mining-related ground disturbance.

References

  • Nevada Seismological Laboratory, University of Nevada, Reno
  • U.S. Geological Survey Earthquake Hazards Program
  • Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, Geological Map of Nevada