A flurry of earthquakes has rattled California’s Death Valley, raising concerns that a larger, more devastating one could be imminent.
Since October 9, 130 earthquakes have struck the National Park, according to USGS geophysicist Elizabeth Cochran.
The largest occurred on October 25, with magnitudes 4.7 and 4.5.
The series of tremors has not caused any damage in the park or nearby towns and cities, but was felt 150 miles away in Las Vegas.
The park’s fault system is known for its intense seismic activity, producing earthquakes of up to magnitude 7.
This group of earthquakes, considered a “swarm,” is not necessarily unusual, but experts have expressed concern that this increase in activity could mean a larger earthquake is coming.
Since October 9, 130 earthquakes have hit Death Valley. The largest occurred on October 25, with magnitudes 4.7 and 4.5.
“That level of shaking is something we monitor carefully as it could significantly impact the Las Vegas Valley,” said Christie Rowe, director of the Nevada Seismological Laboratory at the University of Nevada, Reno. KTNV Las Vegas.
Activity increased on October 25 when a magnitude 4.2 earthquake struck east of Stovepipe Wells around 12:00 pm local time.
This was followed by the largest event yet recorded: a magnitude 4.7 earthquake that also struck east of Stovepipe Wells at approximately 1 a.m.
Another significant event was observed at 3 pm UTC on October 25, with a magnitude 4.5 earthquake located 10 km (6.2 mi) southeast of Stovepipe Wells at a depth of 4.6 km (2.9 mi). miles).
Clusters of earthquakes are common in Nevada, but “they increase our alert levels because sometimes a larger earthquake follows,” Rowe said.
And when one group disappears, another usually isn’t far behind, he said, explaining that this pattern of activity tends to continue along the California-Nevada border or in central Nevada.
Death Valley has a history of producing large earthquakes.
In 2019, a magnitude 7.1 tremor shook an area just 30 miles away from this current swarm, leaving a deep crack in the ground near Ridgecrest, California, which has since become a local tourist attraction.
Death Valley has a history of producing large earthquakes
An omen of magnitude 6.4 preceded the main earthquake, and these massive earthquakes were followed by 28 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or greater, all within a span of five days.
The main impact was the largest earthquake to hit the area in 20 years.
Therefore, Rowe and other experts at the Nevada Seismological Laboratory are keeping a close eye on this swarm and continue to monitor the region for new activity.
Three major faults run through Death Valley: the Northern Death Valley Fault Zone (NDVFZ), the Black Mountains Fault Zone (BMFZ), and the Southern Death Valley Fault Zone (SDVFZ). ).
These two states experience the second and fourth highest number of earthquakes in the United States annually.
Clusters of earthquakes in California often spark fears of The Big One, a hypothetical high-magnitude earthquake that experts say could strike at any time along the San Andreas Fault.
Such an earthquake would wreak havoc on the state’s famous cities, causing approximately 1,800 deaths, 50,000 injuries and $200 billion in damage, according to the California Earthquake Authority.
And the San Andreas has needed it for a long time.
But there is no reason to believe that this recent swarm of earthquakes could cause instability on the San Andreas Fault, or that it could trigger The Big One.
This is not the first notable seismic event California has seen this year.
In early October, the state was rocked by three earthquakes in less than 24 hours.
The largest was a magnitude 3.0 earthquake that struck four miles northwest of Walker at 12:33 p.m. local time on October 2.
This was followed by A magnitude 2.9 earthquake occurred 10 miles northeast of Barstow at 10:45 a.m. local time. And at 5:40 p.m., the state suffered another blow when a magnitude 2.6 struck two miles east of Pacheco.