DashboardNewsSwarmsM 7.0+
VolcanoesSupervolcanoesRegionsGlobal
Favorites
BlogAbout
Privacy PolicyDisclaimer
Follow
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 S of Goldfield, Nevada
Period:
15 Dec 2024 00:16:39 - 16 Dec 2024 15:31:00 (1 day 15 hours 14 minutes)
Volcanoes in 100km radius:
Ubehebe Craters(45km)
Earthquakes:
28
22 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
2004
S20041119.1(27.9km)
19 Nov
1 day 6 hours
26 earthquakes
2005
S20050327.1(27.6km)
26 Mar
1 day 13 hours
36 earthquakes
2006
S20060526.1(11.2km)
26 May
4 days 17 hours
173 earthquakes
2007
S20070124.1(10.0km)
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
S20100930.1(28.5km)
29 Sep
24 days 14 hours
754 earthquakes
2011
17 Apr
2 days 12 hours
62 earthquakes
17 Jul
1 day 18 hours
35 earthquakes
2012
17 Dec
7 days 12 hours
440 earthquakes
2015
S20150214.1(24.8km)
14 Feb
9 days 9 hours
434 earthquakes
3 Jun
2 days 10 hours
48 earthquakes
2017
23 Nov
1 day 13 hours
34 earthquakes
2020
S20200709.1(28.3km)
8 Jul
1 day 11 hours
29 earthquakes
2021
4 Oct
4 days 10 hours
69 earthquakes
2024
18 Jun
7 days 14 hours
102 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 S20241215.1: Analysis of Recent Activity South of Goldfield, Nevada

A seismic swarm designated S20241215.1 was recorded 38 km south of Goldfield, Nevada, beginning at 00:16 UTC on 15 December 2024 and concluding at 15:31 UTC on 16 December 2024. Over 39 hours and 14 minutes, the sequence comprised 28 earthquakes, with the majority exhibiting magnitudes below 2.0 and focal depths ranging from 0 to 5 km.

The events displayed a clustered temporal pattern, with peak activity occurring on 15 December between 12:58 and 20:56 UTC. Notable shocks included a magnitude 2.0 event at 19:51 UTC on 15 December at 5 km depth, alongside several magnitude 1.8 events. Shallower events at 0 km depth occurred intermittently, while most activity concentrated between 3 and 5 km. Magnitudes remained modest throughout, consistent with microseismic swarms rather than a mainshock-aftershock sequence.

Goldfield lies within the Basin and Range Province of western Nevada, a region characterized by extensional tectonics driven by normal faulting and crustal thinning. The area forms part of the Walker Lane belt, a northwest-trending zone of dextral shear that accommodates a portion of the Pacific-North American plate boundary deformation. This tectonic setting produces frequent small-magnitude earthquakes and occasional swarms, often linked to fluid migration along fault networks or volcanic remnants from the Miocene epoch. The Goldfield mining district itself overlies altered volcanic rocks and faulted terrains that have hosted historical gold production, with underlying structures contributing to ongoing low-level seismicity.

Since 2000, the region has experienced 19 documented swarms, distributed across multiple years with varying event counts: single swarms in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2012, 2017, 2020, 2021, and 2024; two swarms each in 2007, 2010, 2011, and 2015. This recurrence underscores the persistent tectonic stress accumulation and release typical of the Walker Lane transition zone. The 2024 swarm aligns with this pattern, featuring comparable magnitudes and depths to prior episodes.

Insights from the S20241215.1 sequence suggest it represents a classic swarm driven by localized stress perturbations rather than a single large rupture. The predominance of events between 3 and 5 km depth points to activity within the seismogenic upper crust, potentially influenced by hydrothermal processes common in this mineral-rich district. No events exceeded magnitude 2.0, indicating limited energy release and low hazard potential. Such swarms contribute to refined models of regional strain rates, aiding long-term seismic hazard assessments for nearby communities and infrastructure.

References

  • USGS Earthquake Catalog (earthquake.usgs.gov)
  • Nevada Seismological Laboratory historical records
  • SeismoSight internal swarm classification data