It is Possible The Cali Swarm is Volcanic Activity from the Salton Buttes Volcanic Field

Upon further review and importing data I have into google earth, I now believe this swarm activity could very well be related to the Salton Buttes volcanic field. Take a look at this pic I generated of all the activity, which includes activity near the volcano you may not be seeing at the main USGS quake site:



There are several points which I feel I should mention to support this possibility:

1. Note the recent quake activity directly in the field, not just in the swarm location.

2. The swarm activity is coincident with the activity in the volcanic field, now that you can see all the quakes. This is all recent activity, in the last week!

3. The activity is consistently shallow, typical of volcanic- generated seismicity- but not always.

4. The wide area of epicenters does not exhibit the typical main shock/after shock sequence- if this were tectonic. Note that specifically, a lot of the seismicity is actually away from the faults, marked in red. But I may not have all the faults listed, going to check further on that.

5. This could be some kind of dyke intrusion or other magmatic driven seismicity. It could even be a combination of both- a magmatic process that induced movement on the fault to create the bigger quakes in the series. Volcanoes don't usually have quakes in the the upper 5's. And that is particularly perplexing in this sequence. Because if this is volcanic, and we are seeing quakes that big...umm... that is not good. At all.

I don't discount totally the possibility of this all being tectonic, but after I got more info, my opinion is back to center, and not leaning towards tectonic. I await further comment from professionals, as information surfaces. The area is known for spreading, so it still could be that.

I felt this information was deserving of its own thread so it doesn't get lost in the shuffle, however if the mods feel differently, then close it.

Thank you TA for further looking into this theory as it seems our professionals are in disagreement. Who knows what is going on but you are right, this theory is worth it's own thread.

I wish we were there to see the activity in person. You know the stations have had a hard time keeping up today.

It's been wild!!!

Wow..

what a great write up..

thanks for spending the time to give us all that info..

hopefully all settles down out there...

Have you guys noted the trail of epicenters leading directly to the volcanic field?

I dunno what's going on here, but with 5's showing on the radar, it doesn't look good. At this point I am actually on the lookout for volcanic tremor. If that happens, in addition to the 4's and 5's, all I can say is good luck to anyone near there.... Nothing like a mean ole volcano springing to life unexpectedly in your back yard. Seriously though, those 5's and upper 4's are concerning in light of the trail right into the volcanic field.

For sure this should be a thread, what with all the seismic activity going on. Good idea

I remembered the 2010 Mexicali earthquake and the discussion then re Salton Sea area.

From 2011

But Mark Benthien, outreach coordinator for the Southern California Earthquake Center, said the earthquake swarms are a result of the rift zone being split apart; not a sign that a volcanic eruption sequel is coming soon.

"It is volcanism, but it's over a broader range and deeper," he said. "It's not like magma coming up in a typical volcanic sense."

Benthien noted the Salton Sea region is well-monitored by scientists due to its geologic complexity and the nearby San Andreas fault.

"Long before any eruption were to happen, there would be a lot of evidence that something was happening -- and that evidence is not the earthquake swarms," he said.

Added Perry, "I would be much more concerned about the potential for the Big One on the San Andreas fault than the volcanism at the southern end of the Salton Sea."

Potential for volcanic activity in Salton Sea source, but good read re volcanic activity at buttes

more interesting info
Is the Salton Sea really "15 Months Pregnant" with our next big quake?

Thanks TA!!
I have been thinking the same thing. I posted these 2 links earlier today on the Salton Buttes volcanic area on the 2012 Quake thread. I think them worth reposting on this thread due to its content.

volcanoes.usgs.gov...

vulcan.wr.usgs.gov...

Yes,this should be a thread,and thank you TA!!
The latest volcanic activity in this area may have
occurred in 6450 BC.
Salton Buttes
en.wikipedia.org...

JESUS CHRIST!

I THINK I AM GETTING TREMOR NOW COMING IN

At minimum, that really looks like a long period event. I have emailed some of my contacts, but no reply yet.

Originally posted by TrueAmerican
JESUS CHRIST!

I THINK I AM GETTING TREMOR NOW COMING IN

If true, stay safe. Keep us updated if you have the chance.

reply to post by TrueAmerican


TA,...I just sent you a message before I saw this post asking you the same thing!

It certainly looks it!

reply to post by westcoast


Yes, it does look like at a minimum, a VLP.... long period event. That is WAY not good!

That was confirmed on several stations. Seismologists had better do something and alert the nearby town officials, if nothing else to alert them to a potentially dangerous situation brewing.

ok.....TA and West Coast freaking out makes ME freak out

It seems to be that there is not enough sufficient data
to predict what could be happening here.

. Monitoring of earthquake activity began in the 1930s, and the dense seismic network installed in the 1970s is operated by the USGS and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The available data are insufficient to establish a pattern of volcanic activity to determine the likelihood of eruption. The high heat flow from the area and relatively young age of Salton Buttes, however, attest to the potential for future eruptions.

link
volcanoes.usgs.gov...

reply to post by westcoast


Ok we got you now too... Good, was wondering about you too... So what are your thoughts WC?

USGS has slowed down tremendously, do y'all agree???

reply to post by StealthyKat


Well let's just say that was a bit surprising, to say the least. I am working now to get it converted to audio so I can have a listen.

If something big is brewing up, hopefully it can wait another month or so.

Then again, it would be par for the course if some big stupid broke out right before I escaped from this damned state.

reply to post by TrueAmerican

Are you seeing it on GEE? And if so, which stations are you monitoring?
Can you post a screenshot?
Trying to soak this all in has made me dizzy

Edit: Nevermind... Convert away.

Originally posted by TrueAmerican
reply to post by westcoast

 

Yes, it does look like at a minimum, a VLP.... long period event. That is WAY not good!

VLP?

Thanks for the look into this TA. It's far from me but if things get hot, I want to be ready.

Question: does anyone think it strange that these earthquakes are hitting around the same time, as Hurricane Isaac?

Wow, totally bizarre audio from that.

Better send it to Puterman, see what he thinks, and still no reply yet from my emails to pros. But I'll bet some eyes are on that thing, for sure.

Ok, so here is the reality. IF that was a VLP, it still doesn't necessarily mean Salton Buttes is going to erupt. For example, scientists weathered the massive seismicity at Long Valley and several known long period events that occurred over the years under Mammoth Mountain there. And yet still no eruption. But as with all volcanoes, they are somewhat unpredictable, and things can escalate quickly. That is why caution is urged once long period events start showing up. So monitor it closely I will, for the next days. If more of those keep coming around, and they get stronger....