GIRS-2024-03: Site Characterization and Liquefaction Analysis at Searles Lake, CA following 2019 Ridgecrest Earthquake Sequence

By: Timothy M. O’Donnell, Kenneth S. Hudson, Francisco Javier G. Ornelas, Jonathan P. Stewart, Scott J. Brandenberg, Chukwuebuka C. Nweke, and Paolo Zimmaro
DOI: 10.34948/N3F302

Abstract: Following and during the 2019 Ridgecrest Earthquake Sequence (July 4 M6.5 event and July 5 M7.1 event), the Geotechnical Extreme Events Reconnaissance (GEER) Association conducted reconnaissance in areas with extensive surface manifestation of liquefaction at Searles Lake, near Trona and Argus, CA (GEER 2019, Zimmaro et al. 2020). Searles Lake is an ancient endorheic lakebed currently used as a mineral mine by Searles Valley Minerals (SVM). The reconnaissance documented broad regions that had experienced surface manifestation of liquefaction and other regions with no ground failure. As such, this site was considered an ideal case history for investigations of the factors leading to surface manifestation of liquefaction or the lack thereof. (full abstract available in the report)