Seismic Swarm S20230102.1: Analysis of Activity Near Whites City, New Mexico

Seismic swarm S20230102.1 occurred approximately 58 km south of Whites City in southeastern New Mexico. The sequence began at 15:26 on 1 January 2023 and concluded at 11:07 on 4 January 2023, spanning 67 hours and 41 minutes. During this interval, 46 earthquakes were recorded.

The events ranged in magnitude from 0.1 to 3.3, with the majority occurring at depths between 5 and 8 km. The largest shock reached magnitude 3.3 at 21:23 on 1 January, followed by two magnitude 3.2 events on 2 and 4 January. Most activity clustered around 6–7 km depth, consistent with shallow crustal processes in the region.

This swarm exhibited classic characteristics of clustered microseismicity: a rapid onset, repeated small-magnitude events, and gradual decay without a single dominant mainshock. Depths remained stable throughout, suggesting a localized source volume rather than migration along a fault plane.

The Whites City area lies within the western Delaware Basin, part of the larger Permian Basin. The basin formed during the late Paleozoic and contains thick sequences of Permian carbonates, evaporites, and clastic sediments overlying Precambrian basement. Regional tectonics reflect a transition between the Basin and Range province to the west and the stable Great Plains to the east. Although natural seismicity is low, the basin has experienced increased earthquake rates since the expansion of oil-and-gas operations in the 2010s.

Historical records indicate sparse swarm activity in southeastern New Mexico prior to 2022. The single documented swarm since 2000 occurred in 2022, highlighting the recent emergence of clustered events in this portion of the Delaware Basin.

Current understanding attributes many such swarms to anthropogenic influences, particularly wastewater injection that elevates pore pressure along pre-existing faults. Depths of 6–7 km align with the interval where injection targets and basement faults commonly interact.

Continued monitoring by regional networks remains essential for distinguishing induced from tectonic signals and for assessing hazard implications in this rapidly developing energy-producing region.

References

• USGS Earthquake Catalog
• New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources
• SeismoSight internal swarm classification S20230102.1