Seismologists have noticed that many earthquakes focused in the same area can sometimes lead to a bigger one.
On the other hand, a report from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) stated, “The clustered earthquakes “are located in an area of diffuse seismic activity between the San Andreas fault in the north and the Imperial fault to the south.”
This summer, California has been fighting raging wildfires. Now the earthquakes are making news. The Southern California Seismic Network (SCSN) has identified what appears to be the epicenter of the activity.
About earthquake swarm
Some of the most studied previous swarm phenomena took place in 1991 and 2012.
Recently scientists were able to determine that oil and gas wastewater disposal wells or the underground injection of fluids can cause these earthquake swarms. This was documented in 2009, especially in parts of Oklahoma.
They also discovered that an earthquake swarm migrates along faults, like volcanos or oil and gas geothermal operations. The swarms move faster or slower in differing environments, possibly because of the variations of underground fluid production rates.
