Location:

Period:

14 Mar 2009 07:30:56 - 21 Mar 2009 01:59:14 (6 days 18 hours 28 minutes)

Volcanoes in 100km radius:

Ubehebe Craters(68km)

Earthquakes:

105

14 swarms found nearby.

2002

S20020705.1(21.1km)

4 Jul

2 days 0 hours

33 earthquakes

S20020727.1(22.1km)

26 Jul

1 day 13 hours

35 earthquakes

2005

S20050622.1(28.6km)

22 Jun

2 days 17 hours

137 earthquakes

S20050710.1(29.4km)

10 Jul

22 hours

33 earthquakes

2008

S20080210.1(28.7km)

9 Feb

2 days 7 hours

40 earthquakes

S20080719.1(29.8km)

18 Jul

4 days 11 hours

64 earthquakes

S20081209.1(3.8km)

9 Dec

3 days 19 hours

70 earthquakes

2009

S20090430.1(27.8km)

29 Apr

4 days 8 hours

203 earthquakes

S20090730.1(18.0km)

29 Jul

2 days 2 hours

46 earthquakes

S20090811.1(18.5km)

10 Aug

2 days 7 hours

47 earthquakes

S20090824.1(20.2km)

24 Aug

1 day 21 hours

100 earthquakes

2013

S20130518.1(26.0km)

17 May

1 day 16 hours

45 earthquakes

2014

S20140113.1(22.2km)

12 Jan

3 days 18 hours

70 earthquakes

S20140215.1(25.6km)

14 Feb

1 day 14 hours

65 earthquakes

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Seismic Swarm S20090314.1 Near Beatty, Nevada: Analysis of Microearthquake Activity in the Basin and Range Province

Seismic swarm S20090314.1 was recorded 8 km northeast of Beatty, Nevada, beginning at 07:30 on 14 March 2009 and concluding at 01:59 on 21 March 2009. Over 162 hours and 28 minutes, the swarm produced 105 earthquakes. Analysis of the first 100 events reveals predominantly microseismic activity with magnitudes ranging from -0.4 to 1.6 and focal depths between 0 and 13 km. The initial event registered magnitude 1.6 at 7 km depth, followed by numerous events below magnitude 0.5 at depths of 2–6 km. Activity showed clustering on 14–16 March with occasional larger events, such as magnitude 1.1 on 18 March at 6 km depth, before tapering through 20 March.

The temporal distribution indicates a typical swarm pattern without a dominant mainshock, featuring gradual onset and sustained low-level energy release. Depths remained shallow overall, consistent with brittle failure in the upper crust. Magnitudes stayed below 2.0, suggesting limited stress accumulation and diffuse faulting rather than rupture along a single major structure.

Beatty lies in Nye County within the Basin and Range Province of southern Nevada. This extensional tectonic regime features north-south trending normal faults that accommodate crustal stretching between the Sierra Nevada and the Colorado Plateau. The area experiences moderate background seismicity driven by regional extension rates of approximately 1 cm per year. Proximity to the Walker Lane shear zone and the Nevada National Security Site further influences local fault networks, where historical underground testing has also contributed to induced seismicity studies.

Since 2000, seven prior swarms have occurred in the immediate region, with two each in 2002 and 2005, and three in 2008. These recurrent swarms reflect ongoing tectonic adjustment along secondary faults rather than large-scale plate-boundary motion. Updated geological mapping confirms the presence of Quaternary alluvium overlying Paleozoic carbonates and Tertiary volcanic rocks, providing a heterogeneous substrate that favors swarm-style seismicity through fluid migration and small-scale fault interactions.

The 2009 swarm aligns with this established pattern of episodic, low-magnitude activity. No damage or felt reports were associated with the events, underscoring the low hazard posed by such microearthquake clusters despite their frequency in the area.

References

USGS Earthquake Catalog (earthquake.usgs.gov)
Nevada Seismological Laboratory regional reports
Basin and Range Province tectonic summaries, Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology