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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 SSE of Goldfield, Nevada
Period:
17 Jul 2011 15:14:20 - 19 Jul 2011 09:48:10 (1 day 18 hours 33 minutes)
Volcanoes in 100km radius:
Ubehebe Craters(47km)
Earthquakes:
35
19 swarms found nearby.
2000
6 Jun
7 days 22 hours
86 earthquakes
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
2012
17 Dec
7 days 12 hours
440 earthquakes
2015
S20150214.1(25.9km)
14 Feb
9 days 9 hours
434 earthquakes
3 Jun
2 days 10 hours
48 earthquakes
2017
S20170612.1(29.2km)
11 Jun
3 days 12 hours
77 earthquakes
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 S20110718.1: Analysis of Activity Near Goldfield, Nevada

The seismic swarm designated S20110718.1 occurred 38 km south-southeast of Goldfield, Nevada, within the tectonically active Basin and Range province. This region experiences ongoing crustal extension along normal faults, contributing to frequent low-magnitude earthquake clusters. The swarm initiated at 15:14 on 17 July 2011 and concluded at 09:48 on 19 July 2011, spanning 42 hours and 33 minutes. During this interval, 35 earthquakes were recorded, with magnitudes ranging from 0.0 to 1.7 and focal depths primarily between 0 and 20 km.

Event timing showed a concentration of activity on 18 July, including multiple events exceeding magnitude 1.0 between 02:37 and 06:29 UTC. The largest shock reached magnitude 1.7 at a depth of 6 km. Shallower events clustered near the surface, while deeper ones approached 19–20 km, consistent with regional fault structures extending through the upper crust. No single dominant mainshock was evident, aligning with swarm characteristics where events occur in rapid succession without clear foreshock-aftershock sequences.

Goldfield lies in Esmeralda County, an area shaped by Cenozoic volcanism and faulting associated with the Walker Lane deformation zone. Historical seismic patterns in western Nevada reflect this extensional regime, with small-magnitude swarms serving as indicators of stress redistribution along segmented faults. The 2011 swarm fits within documented regional behavior, where fluid migration or aseismic slip may trigger clustered seismicity.

Since 2000, eight swarms have been identified in the vicinity. These occurred in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2007 (two instances), 2010, and 2011. This recurrence underscores persistent low-level tectonic activity without escalation to larger events in the immediate area.

Overall, swarm S20110718.1 exemplifies typical microseismicity in Nevada's interior, providing data on fault interactions at shallow depths. Continued monitoring supports refined assessments of local seismic hazards in this extensional setting.

References

  • SeismoSight internal swarm classification records
  • USGS Earthquake Catalog (historical Nevada events)
  • Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology seismic reports