What's Shaking in Joshua Tree?

Aerial photo of part of the Hector Mine earthquake surface rupture. Arrows and offset tire tracks show the direction the ground moved. This kind of side-by-side movement is typical of strike-slip faults. Photo courtesy of Paul "Kip" Otis-Diehl, USMC, 29 Palms. Click here to see more!

A magnitude 7.1 earthquake rocked the Joshua Tree National Park region at 2:46 a.m. local time Saturday, October 16, 1999. The event was located in the Mojave desert, about 47 miles east-southeast of Barstow and 32 miles north of Joshua Tree.

The earthquake occurred on the Lavic Lake fault, which slices in a north-northwest direction through the eastern Mojave shear zone. Scientists have identified a 40-kilometer long surface rupture within the Twenty Nine Palms Marine Base. So far, a maximum offset of 3.8 - 4.7 meters was measured.

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All About Earthquakes

• Earthquake intensity
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• See Sunset Crater's seismograph

Earthquake ABC - for kids! For parents!
Putting Down Roots in Earthquake Country

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U.S. Geological Survey Earthquake Information
Map of California's recent earthquakes
Ground motion maps of recent earthquakes
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This page was last updated on 01/13/04