Barrage of 130 earthquakes rattle Death Valley as experts fear a big one could be about to hit California

A flurry of earthquakes have rattled California's Death Valley, raising concerns that a bigger much devastating 1 could beryllium imminent.

Since October 9, 130 quakes person struck nan National Park, according to USGS geophysicist Elizabeth Cochran. 

The largest ones occurred connected October 25, clocking successful astatine magnitudes 4.7 and 4.5.

The spate of tremors has not caused immoderate harm successful nan parkland aliases to adjacent towns and cities but nan shaking has been felt 150miles distant in Las Vegas.

The park's responsibility strategy is known for its aggravated seismic activity, producing earthquakes up to magnitude 7.

This cluster of earthquakes, considered a 'swarm', aren't needfully unusual, but experts person raised concerns that this uptick successful activity could mean a bigger quake is coming.

'That level of shaking is thing we cautiously monitor, arsenic it could importantly effect nan Las Vegas valley,' Christie Rowe, Director of nan Nevada Seismological Lab at nan University of Nevada, Reno, told KTNV Las Vegas.

Activity accrued connected October 25 erstwhile a magnitude 4.2 quake deed eastbound of Stovepipe Wells astir 12:00pm section time.

This was followed by nan largest recorded arena truthful far: a magnitude 4.7 quake that besides deed eastbound of Stovepipe Wells astatine astir 1am.

Another important arena was observed astatine 3pm UTC connected October 25, pinch a M4.5 earthquake located 10 km (6.2 miles) southeast of Stovepipe Wells astatine a extent of 4.6 km (2.9 miles).

Earthquake clusters are communal successful Nevada, but 'they do summation our alert levels because sometimes a larger earthquake follows,' Rowe said.

And erstwhile 1 cluster dies down, different usually isn't acold behind, she said, explaining that this shape of activity tends to proceed on nan California-Nevada separator aliases connected cardinal Nevada. 

Death Valley has a history of producing awesome earthquakes.

In 2019, a magnitude 7.1 tremblor struck an area conscionable 30 miles distant from this existent swarm, leaving a heavy ace successful nan crushed near Ridgecrest, California, that has since go a section tourer attraction. 

A magnitude 6.4 foreshock preceded nan main shock, and these monolithic quakes were followed by 28 quakes of magnitude 4.5 aliases greater each successful a span of 5 days.

The main daze was nan largest earthquake to deed nan area successful 20 years.

Therefore, Rowe and different experts astatine nan Nevada Seismological laboratory are keeping a adjacent oculus connected this swarm and proceed to show nan region for caller activity. 

Three main responsibility lines tally done Death Valley: nan Northern Death Valley Fault Zone (NDVFZ), nan Black Mountains Fault Zone (BMFZ), and nan Southern Death Valley Fault Zone (SDVFZ). 

These 2 states spot nan 2nd and 4th astir earthquakes successful nan US annually. 

Earthquake clusters successful California often spark fears of The Big One - a hypothetical high-magnitude quake that experts opportunity could strike astatine immoderate clip on nan San Andreas fault. 

Such a quake would wreak havoc upon nan state's celebrated cities, causing astir 1,800 deaths, 50,000 injuries and $200 cardinal successful damage, according to nan California Earthquake Authority. 

And nan San Andreas is agelong overdue for it.

But there's nary logic to judge that this caller swarm of earthquakes could origin instability successful San Andreas fault, aliases that it could trigger The Big One. 

This isn't nan first notable seismic arena that California has seen this year.

In early October, nan authorities was rocked by 3 earthquakes successful little than 24 hours. 

The largest was a 3.0 magnitude quake that deed 4 miles northwest of Walker astatine 12:33pm section clip connected October 2.

This was followed by a 2.9 magnitude quake struck 10 miles northeast of Barstow astatine 10:45am section time. And astatine 5:40pm, nan authorities suffered different rustle arsenic a 2.6 magnitude deed 2 miles eastbound of Pacheco.