The 15 May 2020 Mw6.5 Monte Cristo Range, Nevada earthquake—assessments of emergency response, geological effects, and societal impacts

Abstract

On 15 May 2020 the Mw6.5 Monte Cristo Range earthquake occurred in a sparsely populated area of western Nevada near Columbus Salt Marsh, about 55 km west-northwest of Tonopah, Nevada. The papers in this Special Publication on the 2020 Mw6.5 Monte Cristo Range earthquake, the largest seismic event in Nevada in 66 years, focus on social and economic topics related to the emergency response, damage assessment and documentation, and public awareness and preparedness for earthquake hazards of a rural event. The goal of this collection of papers is to inform federal, state, and local emergency management personnel in ongoing efforts aimed at improving society's resilience to future damaging events. In particular, the papers provide baseline information to better understand earthquake response and recovery coordination, as well as the types and extent of damage to infrastructure and natural geologic effects, with potential applications to future ground motion studies. Although the effects of the earthquake were relatively minor, it serves as a reminder of the earthquake hazard and risk in the central Walker Lane, and will inform preparedness efforts in other more populated areas of Nevada and elsewhere.