Thursday, May 28, 2015

Earthquakes Swarming ?

There has been a broad global increase in Volcanic awakening or at least that appears to be so.  Our core problem is that we lack the necessary five thousand year time line or anything that approaches a reasonable proxy.  

Yet we also know that in terms of longer geological time lines that eras of volcanism do occur.  So yes an anomalous period does need to be noted.  Yet it may means as little I  expect activity at Yellowstone to mean.


All this movement though could well allow earthquakes to surprise us so we need to refresh ourselves.  The central USA is particularly noisy. 

 

5/08/2015 — Dormant Supervolcano in California shows movement below — sign of California pressure

The past week of earthquakes (up to May 8, 2015) reveals tremendous seismic pressure building in the Southwest / West coast of the United States.


past 7 days of 2.5m and greater earthquakes may 8 2015
 
Above: Past 7 days of earthquakes 2.5M+ in the United States, up to May 8, 2015 115am CDT
On top of all the other dormant volcanic activity happening globally, such as ancient volcanoes waking up in Japan after 800 years of silence, and unexpected eruptions in Chile — we now are seeing movement begin around MULTIPLE dormant volcanoes along the West coast of the United States.

Most recently, now we see earthquake movement directly at Mono Lake Supervolcano, which is located in Central Eastern California, along the Nevada border.


supervolcano may 7 2015
________

Information on this event at Mono Lake from the USGS:
M2.6 – 43km ESE of Bridgeport, California

Magnitude / uncertainty2.6 ml± 0.4
Location / uncertainty38.041°N 118.817°W± 1.3 km
Depth / uncertainty6.8 km± 1.4
Origin Time
Number of Stations12
Number of Phases16
Minimum Distance4.01 km (0.04°)
Travel Time Residual0.1815 sec
Azimuthal Gap90.21°
FE RegionCentral California (40)
________
If this movement at Mono Lake, CA was on its own, then we might say it was just “chance” or “coincidence”….. or maybe we might incorrectly think it was just “normal” small seismic activity which one might see at a time of global seismic unrest elsewhere.

But if you knew about the OTHER dormant volcanoes which showed movement this past week, then you might reconsider your definition of “normal”, and thus reconsider what we might be observing take place along the West Coast.

9 out of the 10 past most recent earthquakes on the West coast were DIRECTLY at volcanic locations.


Recent examples below.

2.9M earthquake near Lassen Volcanic Center, May 7 2015:

lassen volcanic center earthquake may 7 2015

Information on the Lassen Volcanic Center 2.9 (3.1M revised) earthquake from the USGS:

M2.9 – 10km WNW of Greenville, California
Magnitude / uncertainty2.9 md± 0.1
Location / uncertainty40.167°N 121.068°W± 0.2 km
Depth / uncertainty6.4 km± 0.5
Origin Time
Number of Stations41
Number of Phases43
Minimum Distance6.50 km (0.06°)
Travel Time Residual0.08 sec
Azimuthal Gap66°
FE RegionNorthern California (36)


3.7M earthquake near Mount Baker volcano in Washington State, May 7 2015:

mount baker earthquake may 7 2015


Information on this 3.7M earthquake near Mount Baker from the USGS:


M3.7 – 12km NNE of Bryant, Washington
Magnitude / uncertainty3.7 ml± 0.2
Location / uncertainty48.336°N 122.084°W± 0.6 km
Depth / uncertainty10.6 km± 0.9
Origin Time
Number of Stations51
Number of Phases59
Minimum Distance8.04 km (0.07°)
Travel Time Residual0.36 sec
Azimuthal Gap38°
FE RegionWashington (29)


2.6M earthquake near Mammoth Mountain Volcano / Mono Lake volcanic complex , May 7 2015:

mammoth mountain mono lake earthquake may 7 2015


Information on the 2.6M earthquake near Mammoth Mountain / Mono Lake from the USGS:
 
M2.6 – 21km NW of West Bishop, California

Magnitude / uncertainty2.6 md± 0.2
Location / uncertainty37.475°N 118.651°W± 0.2 km
Depthuncertainty7.4 km± 1.3
Origin Time
Number of Stations38
Number of Phases41
Minimum Distance12.59 km (0.11°)
Travel Time Residual0.07 sec
Azimuthal Gap56°
FE RegionCentral California (40)

2.9M earthquake near Bitner Volcanic Butte in Northwest Nevada , May 7 2015:

nevada bitner butte may 7 2015 earthquake


Information on this 2.9M earthquake near Bitner Butte in Nevada from the USGS:

M2.9 – 69km ESE of Lakeview, Oregon

Magnitude / uncertainty2.9 ml± 0.9
Location / uncertainty41.858°N 119.637°W± 3.8 km
Depth / uncertainty4.7 km± 7.6
Origin Time
Number of Stations4
Number of Phases7
Minimum Distance16.92 km (0.15°)
Travel Time Residual0.1159 sec
Azimuthal Gap223.56°
FE RegionNevada (37)


ANOTHER 2.9M earthquake near Bitner Volcanic Butte in Northwest Nevada , May 6 2015:

nevada bitner butte may 7 2015 earthquake


Information on this May 6th 2.9M earthquake near Bitner Butte in Nevada from the USGS:

M2.9 – 72km SE of Lakeview, Oregon
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/nn00493200#scientific_origin:nn_nn00493200

Magnitude / uncertainty2.9 ml± 0.3

Location / uncertainty41.886°N 119.629°W± 5.2 km

Depth / uncertainty10.1 km± 3.4

Origin Time

Number of Stations5

Number of Phases9

Minimum Distance15.58 km (0.14°)

Travel Time Residual0.1755 sec

Azimuthal Gap129.64°

FE RegionNevada (37)

3.8M earthquake in Baja Mexico Gulf of California at dormant volcanic butte, May 6 2015:

mexico 3.8 baja dormant butte earthquake may 6 2015


Information on this 3.8M earthquake at an unnamed dormant volcanic butte in Baja Mexico from the USGS:

M3.8 – 108km SSW of Alberto Oviedo Mota, B.C., Mexico
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/ci37376088#scientific_origin:ci_ci37376088

Magnitude / uncertainty3.8 ml± 0.1

Location31.278°N 115.430°W

Depth / uncertainty10.0 km± 31.6

Origin Time

Number of Stations4

Number of Phases7

Minimum Distance26.09 km (0.23°)

Travel Time Residual0.04 sec

Azimuthal Gap112°

FE RegionBaja California, Mexico (48)


3.2M earthquake near Mount Shasta + Lassen Volcanic Center, May 6 2015:

shasta lassen volcano earthquake may 6 2015


Information on this 3.2M earthquake near Mount Shasta Volcano from the USGS :

Magnitude / uncertainty 3.2 ml± 0.1
Location / uncertainty 40.611°N 122.427°W± 0.2 km
Depth / uncertainty 22.6 km± 0.3
Origin Time
Number of Stations 28
Number of Phases 29
Minimum Distance 5.46 km (0.05°)
Travel Time Residual 0.09 sec
Azimuthal Gap 64°
FE Region Northern California (36)


One lone earthquake out of the last 10 earthquakes (over the past 2 days) has struck in a NON-volcanic location, but does fall along an area which is known to be erupting right now.
A 2.7M earthquake along the Gorda Escarpment, May 6 2015:

gorda escarpment volcano earthquake may 8 2015

Information on this 2.7M earthquake along the Gorda escarpment from the USGS:
Magnitude / uncertainty 2.7 md± 0.1
Location / uncertainty 40.455°N 124.777°W± 1.8 km
Depth / uncertainty 24.2 km± 6.3
Origin Time
Number of Stations 30
Number of Phases 35
Minimum Distance 37.20 km (0.33°)
Travel Time Residual 0.27 sec
Azimuthal Gap 271°
FE Region Offshore Northern California (35)


Hawthorne Lake Nevada:

dormant butte hawthore nevada earthquake volcano may 5 2015


Hawthorne Lake, NV dormant volcano 3.5M earthquake seen in this video here — from May 3, 2015:


Information on the Hawthorne Lake, Nevada 3.5M earthquake from the USGS:

M3.5 – 12km SW of Hawthorne, Nevada
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/nn00492533#scientific_origin:nn_nn00492533


Magnitude / uncertainty3.5 ml± 0.3

Location / uncertainty38.444°N 118.730°W± 0.8 km

Depth / uncertainty4.8 km± 1.2

Origin Time

Number of Stations16

Number of Phases23

Minimum Distance3.45 km (0.03°)

Travel Time Residual0.1794 sec

Azimuthal Gap60.52°

FE RegionNevada (40)

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