Mammoth Mountain, in the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains of California, is located along the giant Long Valley Caldera where recurring earthquake events, continued dome-shaped uplifting of the central section of the caldera, and changes in thermal springs and gas emissions keeps scientists on the alert for signs of the disastrous explosive volcanic event that many believe is inevitable. ; Credit: David McNew/Getty Images
Nearly three dozen 2.5-3.8 magnitude earthquakes and even more tiny tremblors have hit the Mammoth Lakes region in the past 24 hours.
Mammoth is home to an active volcano, but there have been no eruptions for about 57,000 years. An uptick in quakes during the past 10 years has been related to “volcanic unrest” -- the period has been marked by gas emissions and movements of molten rock that cut of tree root systems, causing deaths of trees. Mammoth locals seem unconcerned by the quakes.
What’s causing the shaking in the Mammoth Lakes area? Can the tremblors be attributed to volcanic activity, or is there another possible explanation?
Guest:
Tom Heaton, professor of engineering and seismology at Caltech