The M5.3 and the M5.5 were both strike-slip, with one of them having slight normal. It had been thought by some that the San Andreas fault proper ended at the Salton Sea, and the Brawley had normal faulting (stretching) earthquakes, but Magistrale and also Seeber and Armbruster showed a zone of strike-slip quakes cutting at least part way through the Brawley zone. I have been under the impression that the San Andreas fault proper crosses the SE Salton Sea and these quakes, if they are on a NW-SE plane, culd be giving a pretty strong tickle to the southern San Andreas. Certainly bears close watching and I'll be interested in whether the USGS puts out any kind of alert to be on your toes.

Yes, usually we see swarms and then nothing happens, but I'm pretty sure we have not seen a swarm like this in this area in the last decade if not much longer.

John? Roger? Anyone?

Chris