The California earthquake shook Devils Crater more than 500 miles away

A powerful 7.0 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Northern California on Dec. 5 sent shockwaves 500 miles away, turning Devil's Hole, a remote swimming pool in Death Valley National Park, into a massive bathtub.

This seismic event, known as a seiche, caused two-foot waves in the pool, which is the only natural habitat for the endangered Devils Hole Pupfish.

The quake struck at 10:44 a.m., and within minutes, the normally stagnant water in Devil's Hole was boiling. The sudden disturbance swept organic matter from the critical pupfish spawning shelf into the depths of the cave that extends more than 500 feet.

“In the short term, this is bad for the pupfish,” National Park Service biologist Kevin Wilson said in a statement.

“A lot of the little fish's food had sunk deep into the cave, and it was probably too deep for the fish to get in. There were probably little fish eggs on the shelf that were destroyed. But, in the long term, this kind of brings back Adjusting is good for your pup fish, as it has cleaned out any decaying organic matter that can cause pockets of low oxygen.

Underwater images of Devils Hole before and after the seismic event on December 5, 2024. The earthquake shook this small pool, located more than 500 miles from the epicenter, for several minutes. Underwater images of Devils Hole before and after the seismic event on December 5, 2024. The earthquake shook this small pool, located more than 500 miles from the epicenter, for several minutes. Nuclear power sources

The Devils Hole Pupfish is no stranger to such disturbances. These types of seizures have survived earthquakes from as far away as Japan, Indonesia, and Chile.

In recent years, they have experienced similar disturbances in 2018, 2019 and 2022, often responding to increased spawning activity.

However, their survival is a delicate balance. With only 212 juvenile fish counted in September, efforts are currently underway to mitigate the effects of the recent disturbance.

Biologists from NPS, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Nevada Department of Wildlife plan to increase supplemental feeding of the fish to compensate for the loss of organic matter.

Four devils hole pupfish. This species has the smallest known habitat of any vertebrate animal on the planet. Four devils hole pupfish. This species has the smallest known habitat of any vertebrate animal on the planet. Olin Feuerbacker/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Devils Hole: Critical habitat for pupfish

The Devils Hole Pupfish is confined to the smallest natural habitat of any vertebrate species — an 11-by-16-foot sunlit shelf at the entrance to Devils Hole Cave in Nye County, Nevada.

This small ecosystem is part of a separate unit of Death Valley National Park, protected within the Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge since 1984.

The pupfish population was previously stable at 200-250 individuals each spring before declining to an average of 90 fish over two decades, reaching an all-time low of just 35 fish in 2013, according to the NPS.

Recent conservation efforts have helped reverse this trend, with 191 walleyes counted in April 2024, the highest spring count in 25 years.

“It is exciting to see an increasing trend, especially in this highly variable population,” Michael Schwemm, senior fisheries biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said in a statement at the time.

Devils Hole is not only a habitat, it is also a natural seismic indicator. Large earthquakes, even those thousands of miles away, can cause the water in the cave to fluctuate, which in turn flows to the surface.

Newsweek has contacted the NPS via its website for further comment.

What is the California earthquake?

The latest earthquake struck on December 5 off the coast of California near the town of Ferndale. It was a fairly large earthquake, measuring 7.0.

Initially, officials issued a tsunami warning for some coastal areas, although this warning was canceled a few hours later.

The quake started at about 10:44 a.m., two minutes before the event began at Devils Pool about 500 miles away.

Do you have advice on a science story Newsweek should cover? Do you have a question about earthquakes? Let us know at [email protected].

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