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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:
49 km NNW of Pahrump, Nevada
Period:
10 Dec 2016 04:07:11 - 14 Dec 2016 07:33:44 (4 days 3 hours 26 minutes)
Volcanoes in 100km radius:
None
Earthquakes:
49
48 swarms found nearby.
2000
S20000510.1(14.1km)
9 May
3 days 11 hours
40 earthquakes
S20000523.1(25.2km)
22 May
1 day 10 hours
40 earthquakes
9 Sep
5 days 12 hours
111 earthquakes
S20001020.1(10.6km)
19 Oct
2 days 19 hours
98 earthquakes
S20001122.1(20.9km)
21 Nov
1 day 6 hours
42 earthquakes
2002
3 Jan
3 days 1 hours
61 earthquakes
S20020120.1(21.5km)
19 Jan
7 days 17 hours
99 earthquakes
S20020130.1(21.4km)
29 Jan
1 day 2 hours
27 earthquakes
25 May
12 days 2 hours
136 earthquakes
13 Jun
36 days 2 hours
1659 earthquakes
19 Jul
89 days 17 hours
1357 earthquakes
3 Dec
7 days 15 hours
89 earthquakes
2003
24 May
4 days 16 hours
88 earthquakes
16 Nov
1 day 14 hours
32 earthquakes
2005
18 Oct
4 days 12 hours
59 earthquakes
6 Nov
2 days 19 hours
69 earthquakes
2006
25 Jun
8 days 12 hours
129 earthquakes
2007
23 Jun
1 day 6 hours
40 earthquakes
6 Jul
4 days 3 hours
89 earthquakes
2008
S20080127.2(21.5km)
26 Jan
1 day 14 hours
32 earthquakes
14 May
6 days 3 hours
70 earthquakes
14 Jun
3 days 1 hours
42 earthquakes
21 Sep
9 days 14 hours
133 earthquakes
S20081005.1(12.1km)
5 Oct
27 days 12 hours
359 earthquakes
6 Dec
5 days 16 hours
55 earthquakes
2009
8 Jan
3 days 17 hours
48 earthquakes
30 Jun
8 days 13 hours
88 earthquakes
25 Jul
29 days 18 hours
381 earthquakes
4 Dec
2 days 7 hours
34 earthquakes
2010
S20100202.1(11.7km)
1 Feb
3 days 5 hours
44 earthquakes
12 Feb
7 days 8 hours
89 earthquakes
3 Jun
1 day 7 hours
32 earthquakes
2012
31 May
5 days 2 hours
101 earthquakes
2014
16 Apr
1 day 19 hours
32 earthquakes
2015
21 Jul
3 days 19 hours
218 earthquakes
6 Sep
1 day 10 hours
26 earthquakes
16 Oct
2 days 3 hours
47 earthquakes
2016
27 Feb
1 day 4 hours
38 earthquakes
S20161118.1(23.4km)
18 Nov
1 day 10 hours
31 earthquakes
S20161218.1(10.3km)
17 Dec
1 day 1 hours
27 earthquakes
2019
S20190424.1(25.6km)
23 Apr
1 day 11 hours
46 earthquakes
2022
16 Jan
2 days 14 hours
49 earthquakes
S20220519.1(20.7km)
18 May
1 day 5 hours
37 earthquakes
2023
S20231228.1(25.8km)
27 Dec
3 days 9 hours
69 earthquakes
2024
18 Jan
8 hours
51 earthquakes
18 Apr
2 days 16 hours
66 earthquakes
2025
9 Feb
3 days 18 hours
77 earthquakes
29 Jul
2 days 0 hours
60 earthquakes
AI-generated article — for informational and entertainment purposes only. May contain inaccuracies. Full disclaimerFound an error?

Seismic Swarm S20161211.1: Analysis of Activity Near Pahrump, Nevada

Seismic swarm S20161211.1 occurred approximately 49 km north-northwest of Pahrump, Nevada, between 04:07 on 10 December 2016 and 07:33 on 14 December 2016. Over 99 hours and 26 minutes, the swarm produced 49 earthquakes, with magnitudes ranging from -0.8 to 1.5 and focal depths primarily between 1 and 12 km. This event provides a clear example of clustered microseismicity in the region.

The sequence began with low-magnitude events near 3–8 km depth on 10 December, followed by a cluster of slightly larger events around 19:00–21:00 that included the swarm’s peak magnitude of 1.5 at 21:28. Subsequent activity on 11–13 December remained subdued, with most events below magnitude 0.0 and depths stabilizing near 9–11 km. The final recorded event on 14 December reached magnitude -0.5 at 1 km depth. Depths showed modest variation early in the swarm before converging around 10 km, consistent with shallow crustal faulting.

This swarm fits into a broader pattern of seismic activity documented since 2000. Thirty-nine swarms have occurred in the same area, with notable concentrations in 2000 (5 swarms), 2002 (7), 2008 (6), and 2009 (4). Activity has continued at lower rates in later years, including two swarms in 2016 prior to S20161211.1. Such recurrence indicates persistent, low-level strain release along local structures.

The Pahrump area lies within the southern Basin and Range province, where east-west extension drives normal faulting and distributed seismicity. Regional tectonics reflect interaction between the Sierra Nevada block to the west and stable North American interior to the east. Historical earthquakes in this portion of Nevada have generally remained small, with swarms serving as the dominant mode of energy release rather than mainshock-aftershock sequences.

Ongoing monitoring by regional seismic networks continues to track similar clusters, aiding in the characterization of background rates and potential precursors to larger events. The 2016 swarm underscores the value of dense instrumentation for resolving fine-scale migration of activity at depths of 1–12 km.

References

  • SeismoSight internal swarm catalog (S20161211.1 parameters and historical statistics)
  • USGS Earthquake Hazards Program regional tectonic summaries for the Basin and Range province