A swarm of small earthquakes around Brawley in the Imperial Valley since New Year’s Eve is concerning residents.
More than 250 small earthquakes — the strongest 3.9 magnitude — have struck the town south of the Salton Sea since Saturday.
The swarm caught scientists’ attention because the Brawley Seismic Zone connects the San Andreas and Imperial faults, both of which have produced damaging earthquakes in the past.
Caltech seismologist Lucy Jones told CNN such earthquake swarms aren’t unexpected around Brawley because it lies between the two large faults. She said there was a similar swarm in 2012.
Brawley Mayor Sam Couchman told the Los Angeles Times that the earthquakes have placed the city of 26,000 on edge since Saturday afternoon.