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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:
27 km SSE of Mina, Nevada
Period:
10 Dec 2020 07:52:45 - 11 Dec 2020 09:40:34 (1 day 1 hour 47 minutes)
Volcanoes in 100km radius:
Mono Lake Volcanic Field(82km), Mono-Inyo Craters(88km), Mammoth Mountain(97km)
Earthquakes:
42
26 swarms found nearby.
2000
S20000622.1(26.3km)
21 Jun
2 days 3 hours
130 earthquakes
2003
S20030529.1(22.9km)
29 May
4 days 7 hours
164 earthquakes
S20031116.1(25.2km)
15 Nov
2 days 1 hours
52 earthquakes
2013
S20130120.1(10.5km)
19 Jan
2 days 18 hours
65 earthquakes
S20130213.1(10.3km)
12 Feb
11 days 5 hours
345 earthquakes
2014
S20140516.1(26.9km)
16 May
9 hours
55 earthquakes
2020
S20200308.1(24.3km)
8 Mar
2 days 23 hours
77 earthquakes
S20200318.1(22.3km)
17 Mar
3 days 22 hours
75 earthquakes
S20200515.1(19.3km)
15 May
295 days 1 hours
21711 earthquakes
15 May
32 days 11 hours
1150 earthquakes
15 May
22 hours
26 earthquakes
27 May
17 days 11 hours
384 earthquakes
14 Jun
31 days 0 hours
472 earthquakes
7 Jul
5 days 6 hours
63 earthquakes
25 Jul
11 days 0 hours
125 earthquakes
S20201220.1(25.8km)
19 Dec
7 days 21 hours
133 earthquakes
2021
1 Jan
16 hours
24 earthquakes
17 Jan
1 day 7 hours
25 earthquakes
S20210330.1(24.4km)
29 Mar
19 days 16 hours
285 earthquakes
S20210505.1(21.2km)
4 May
16 days 21 hours
229 earthquakes
S20210927.1(20.7km)
26 Sep
2 days 0 hours
31 earthquakes
S20211001.1(18.8km)
30 Sep
6 days 14 hours
87 earthquakes
S20211016.1(14.0km)
15 Oct
7 days 7 hours
86 earthquakes
S20211029.1(12.3km)
28 Oct
10 days 4 hours
136 earthquakes
2022
S20220105.1(21.6km)
4 Jan
6 days 14 hours
106 earthquakes
S20220123.1(27.6km)
22 Jan
6 days 16 hours
114 earthquakes
AI-generated article — for informational and entertainment purposes only. May contain inaccuracies. Full disclaimerFound an error?

Seismic Swarm S20201211.1 Near Mina, Nevada: Characteristics and Regional Context

Seismic swarm S20201211.1 was recorded 27 km south-southeast of Mina, Nevada, beginning at 07:52 on 10 December 2020 and concluding at 09:40 on 11 December 2020. Over 25 hours and 47 minutes, the sequence produced 42 earthquakes. Magnitudes ranged from 0.6 to 2.8, with the largest event reaching 2.8 at 03:09 on 11 December. Focal depths remained shallow, predominantly between 0 and 13 km, consistent with activity on upper-crustal faults.

The swarm exhibited a typical pattern of clustered, low-to-moderate magnitude events without a single dominant mainshock. Early activity on 10 December included events of 2.1 and 2.6, followed by a peak on 11 December featuring the 2.8 magnitude quake and several events above 2.0. Depths showed modest variation, with many events occurring at 2–7 km, suggesting rupture within the brittle upper crust.

Mina lies in Mineral County within western Nevada’s Walker Lane belt, a zone of distributed right-lateral shear that accommodates roughly 20 percent of Pacific–North America relative plate motion. This tectonic setting produces abundant normal and strike-slip faulting, elevated heat flow, and frequent earthquake swarms. The local geology comprises Basin and Range extensional structures superimposed on older volcanic and sedimentary units, creating a network of active faults capable of generating both isolated events and swarm sequences.

Historical records indicate 15 swarms in the region since 1 January 2000. Prior episodes occurred in 2000 (one swarm), 2003 (two), 2013 (two), 2014 (one), and 2020 (nine). The 2020 cluster, including S20201211.1, reflects the area’s ongoing seismic productivity.

Such swarms are common in the Walker Lane and are generally attributed to fluid migration or aseismic slip transients rather than foreshock sequences preceding a larger rupture. No damage or felt reports of significance were associated with this particular sequence.

References

SeismoSight internal swarm classification S20201211.1
USGS Earthquake Catalog
Nevada Seismological Laboratory regional reports