Location:

Period:

14 Feb 2010 10:04:51 - 25 Feb 2010 07:07:59 (10 days 21 hours 3 minutes)

Volcanoes in 100km radius:

Ubehebe Craters(90km)

Earthquakes:

164

2 swarms found nearby.

2012

S20120213.1(0.9km)

12 Feb

7 days 22 hours

107 earthquakes

2019

S20190611.1(23.0km)

11 Jun

1 day 18 hours

29 earthquakes

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Seismic Swarm Near Goldfield, Nevada: February 2010 Analysis

A notable earthquake swarm designated S20100215.1 was recorded 43 km east-southeast of Goldfield, Nevada. Activity began at 10:04 on 14 February 2010 and concluded at 07:07 on 25 February 2010, spanning 261 hours and 3 minutes. During this interval, 164 earthquakes were detected.

Analysis of the first 100 events reveals predominantly low-magnitude shallow seismicity. Magnitudes ranged from 0.6 to 2.6, with the majority falling between 1.0 and 1.9. Depths were mostly at or near the surface, though several events reached 9–15 km. Notable peaks occurred on 15 February, with events of magnitude 2.3 and 2.5, and on 17 February, when two events of magnitude 2.6 and 2.4 struck within minutes. Activity remained diffuse, with no single mainshock dominating the sequence.

The Goldfield region lies in Esmeralda County within the Basin and Range Province of western Nevada. This extensional tectonic setting features numerous north-trending normal faults that accommodate crustal stretching. The area also sits near the northern termination of the Walker Lane belt, a zone of right-lateral shear that transfers a portion of Pacific–North American plate motion. These structural conditions produce frequent small earthquakes and occasional swarms.

Goldfield’s geologic history is closely tied to late Cenozoic volcanism and faulting. Tertiary volcanic rocks and intrusive bodies underlie much of the district, providing the mineralized veins that fueled the early twentieth-century gold boom. Mining operations peaked between 1905 and 1910, after which production declined sharply. Ongoing fault activity continues to shape the landscape through incremental uplift and basin subsidence.

Seismic swarms of this character are common in the Walker Lane and surrounding Basin and Range, often linked to fluid migration or minor stress adjustments along pre-existing faults. The 2010 sequence remained below levels that would cause damage, consistent with the region’s background seismicity.

References

USGS Earthquake Catalog (events through 2023)
Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, Geologic Map of Nevada (updated 2022)
Faulds, J.E., and Henry, C.D., 2008, Tectonic evolution of the Walker Lane: Geological Society of America Special Paper 434