The Southern Nevada area is crossed by the Central Nevada seismic belt in its western part, and the Southern Nevada seismic belt in its southern reaches. The belts of earthquake activity clearly indicate this region is earthquake country. In 1932, the M7.1 Cedar Mountain earthquake, near Gabbs, strongly shook this region and in 1966 Caliente was rocked by moderate earthquakes. Earthquakes in the Southern Nevada area have also been triggered by nuclear test blasts and large earthquakes in California.

The Southern Nevada area is tectonically complicated. Tectonic extension occurs throughout the region creating normal faults; when an earthquake occurs on a normal fault, the ground is offset vertically, with one side dropping down and the other side going up. Two areas of horizontal movement also occur in the region, one along the western part related to the Pacific-North American plate boundary, and one that creates the Southern Nevada seismic belt and is related to there being more extension in the north, compared to the southernmost part of Nevada. As a result of these forces, earthquake faults are scattered throughout the Southern Nevada area and people in this region should be earthquake ready.

Additional earthquake hazard information:

Nevada Earthquake History. United States Geological Survey.

Nevada Earthquake Safety Council. Nevada Earthquake Safety Council.