While the tsunami warning for California ’s December 5 magnitude 7.0 earthquake was eventually lifted , that ’s not to say the quake did n’t make waves elsewhere . approximately 805 kilometers ( 500 Admiralty mile ) away from the epicentre , in a cavern that is part of Death Valley National Park , the critically endangeredDevils Hole Pupfish(Cyprinodon diabolis ) get word its weak home quickly and drastically change .
Life in Devils Hole is normally moderately still ; it ’s a geothermic pool at the bottom of a give way cave and as such , it ’s sheltered from wind that could otherwise move it .
However , according to astatementfrom the National Park Service ( NPS ) , at just about 10:46 am local time – two minute after the earthquake strike – the water in Devils Hole begin to shake .
Devils Hole before (top) and after (bottom) the seiche.Image credit: NPS
This created waves – hump as seiche when they occur within an confine body of water – which reached nearly 60 centimeters ( 24 inches ) high . Their movement was enough to agitate the master spawning field of theDevils Hole Pupfish , anIUCN Red Listcritically endangered species that is only found in the wild in its namesake home ground .
While biologist from the NPS , Fish and Wildlife Service , and Nevada Department of Wildlife are still image out how the waves may have touch on the Pisces the Fishes , there have been some initial proffer .
“ In the shortsighted term , this is bad for the pupfish , ” say NPS biologist Dr Kevin Wilson . “ A lot of pupfish intellectual nourishment just sank deeply into the cave , most likely too deep for the fish to get to it . There were likely pupfish ballock on the ledge that were destroyed . ”
That might sound like a pitiable prognosis for the time to come of this critically endangered coinage , but Wilson explain that it ’s not all big tidings .
“ [ I]n the prospicient terminus , this character of reset is good for the pupfish . It clean off any dilapidate organic thing that could otherwise cause pockets of low O , ” said Wilson .
That may be why the pupfish has survived and even increase in bit after late seiche , some of which were triggered by earthquakes as far away asMexicoandAlaska . In fact , earlier this year , a survey give away a25 - year highin the phone number of Devils Hole pupfish during the spring time of year and most recently , the population was take note to stand at 212 .
While the Devils Hole pupfish may well recover from this most recent seiche event too , they still face multiple threats , including from human activity andclimate change .
