SALTON SEA – (INT) – Seismologists will use airborne technology to better understand the potential for earthquakes in the Coachella Valley, around the Salton Sea and the Imperial Valley.

The Southern Branch of the San Andreas Fault and numerous other smaller faults criss-cross that area which has a long history of seismic activity.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) will activate instruments aboard low-flying aircraft to measure the earth’s naturally occurring magnetic field and radiation -- data that will help characterize rock layers at and below the surface.

The USGS said the results may also help identify undiscovered geothermal and mineral resources.

The small aircraft may be seen from time-to-time into the spring of 2023.

Story Date: January 24, 2022