Seismologists are keeping an eye on a recent swarm of small earthquakes in Sun Valley. Few living there have even felt them.

Inevitably, it brings to mind another swarm that hit the Mogul-Somersett area west of Reno in June of 2008. As it turns out, there are few parallels.

The 2008 was stronger, causing only minor damage, but strong enough to be felt over a wider area and strong enough to rattle some nerves.

By contrast the recent swarm in the Sun Valley area have been barely a quiver, unnoticed by most living above it. Of the 20 recorded between November 26 and early Monday morning, the strongest has been a mere 2.3 on the Richter scale. That was Friday night. Since then it's been pretty quiet.

All in all not an unusual event in northern Nevada.

"In fact, we had a similar swarm just west of Sun Valley this summer," says Ken Smith of the University of Nevada Seismology Lab.

And the Somersett Mogul quakes were a different variety, produced by a slip fault, one block moving past the other. The Sun Valley quakes are the type more typical to Nevada's landscape, one block sliding down against another. In the case of these quakes, nothing's slipping very far.

"Something on the order of a centimeter," says Smith.

And, he adds, all this is happening 4 miles underneath Sun Valley, a specific location of the community. They're centered along a 2 block stretch of Lupin Drive between 4th and 6th avenues.

Smith says there's no indication the swarm will continue or that it should raise any undue concerns.

That said, a significant earthquake is always a possiblity in our area.

"Being prepared for earthquakes is important for everyone in Nevada, particularly in this area."