Swarm of Volcanic Quakes Eases in Mammoth Lakes Area
The number and magnitude of volcanic earthquakes near the Eastern Sierra town of Mammoth Lakes sharply diminished Friday, with about 90 small temblors reported, compared with a final total of 549 quakes Thursday.
The strongest of Friday’s new quakes--part of an ongoing quake swarm that started in June--was only magnitude 2.6.
The U.S. Geological Survey’s chief monitor of the activity, David Hill, said he believed the upsurge in the swarm is over for now.
The strongest quake Thursday was magnitude 4.1.
The swarm has been accompanied by a rise in ground deformation in the area, four miles east of Mammoth Lakes.
This has led scientists to increase their scrutiny of what they believe could, in the long term, be precursors of an eventual volcanic eruption in the area.
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