Location:

Period:

9 Jan 2016 19:35:22 - 20 Jan 2016 06:13:05 (10 days 10 hours 37 minutes)

Volcanoes in 100km radius:

Mono Lake Volcanic Field(76km), Soda Lakes(96km), Mono-Inyo Craters(97km)

Earthquakes:

116

14 swarms found nearby.

2011

S20110414.1(26.1km)

13 Apr

51 days 10 hours

3166 earthquakes

S20110629.1(26.9km)

28 Jun

10 days 3 hours

300 earthquakes

S20110715.1(26.1km)

14 Jul

2 days 14 hours

34 earthquakes

S20110817.1(28.7km)

17 Aug

1 day 17 hours

62 earthquakes

S20110927.1(25.9km)

26 Sep

1 day 17 hours

35 earthquakes

2013

S20130726.1(27.5km)

26 Jul

21 hours

29 earthquakes

2014

S20140114.1(23.0km)

13 Jan

16 days 23 hours

461 earthquakes

2015

S20150908.1(1.2km)

7 Sep

6 days 0 hours

146 earthquakes

S20150911.1(28.3km)

11 Sep

2 days 20 hours

39 earthquakes

2016

S20160323.1(1.2km)

22 Mar

1 day 20 hours

34 earthquakes

S20160708.1(0.9km)

7 Jul

5 days 8 hours

76 earthquakes

2017

S20170102.1(27.9km)

2 Jan

1 day 10 hours

31 earthquakes

2018

S20180729.1(23.0km)

29 Jul

5 days 5 hours

96 earthquakes

2024

S20240824.1(19.4km)

23 Aug

2 days 18 hours

51 earthquakes

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Seismic Swarm S20160110.1: Analysis of Activity Near Walker Lake, Nevada

Seismic swarm S20160110.1 was recorded 2 km west-northwest of Walker Lake, Nevada. The sequence began at 19:35 on 9 January 2016 and concluded at 06:13 on 20 January 2016. Over 250 hours and 37 minutes, a total of 116 earthquakes were registered.

Analysis of the first 100 events reveals predominantly low-magnitude activity. Magnitudes ranged from 0.1 to 3.2, with the majority below 1.5. The largest event reached magnitude 3.2 at a depth of 6 km on 10 January. Depths clustered between 4 km and 16 km, averaging near 10 km, consistent with shallow crustal faulting. Temporal distribution showed peak frequency during the initial 48 hours, followed by a gradual decline. Inter-event intervals shortened during periods of higher activity, such as the afternoon of 10 January and midday on 13 January.

This swarm fits within a documented pattern of episodic seismicity in the region. Since 1 January 2000, nine swarms have occurred near Walker Lake. Earlier episodes took place in 2011 (five swarms), 2013 (one swarm), 2014 (one swarm), and 2015 (two swarms). These recurrent clusters indicate persistent strain release along local structures without a single dominant mainshock-aftershock sequence.

Walker Lake lies within the Walker Lane belt of western Nevada, a zone of distributed right-lateral shear that accommodates approximately 20 percent of Pacific-North American plate motion. The belt comprises numerous north-northwest-trending normal and strike-slip faults superimposed on Basin and Range extension. Quaternary fault scarps and historical moderate earthquakes confirm ongoing tectonic activity. Focal depths of 4–16 km align with the seismogenic thickness typical of the central Great Basin, where brittle failure occurs above a ductile lower crust.

Regional seismic monitoring by the Nevada Seismological Laboratory and the U.S. Geological Survey places the swarm within a background rate of small events punctuated by occasional clusters. No surface rupture or damage was associated with the 2016 sequence, consistent with its modest energy release.

References

Nevada Seismological Laboratory earthquake catalog
U.S. Geological Survey Quaternary fault and fold database
USGS Earthquake Hazards Program regional tectonic summaries