Review documented seismic events and epicentre proximity for this protected landscape
Access a chronological catalogue of recorded earthquakes associated with the geographic footprint of Lincoln National Forest in southern New Mexico. This collection documents historical seismic events, providing essential data on event dates, magnitudes, and depths for researchers and those tracking regional geology. All information is derived from USGS records, presenting a clear view of past activity relative to the diverse mountain and desert landscapes of the Sacramento, Guadalupe, and Capitan ranges.
A vast southern New Mexico forest spanning desert lowlands to alpine peaks.
Lincoln National Forest is a unit of the U.S. Forest Service covering about 1.1 million acres in southeastern New Mexico. Stretching from the Chihuahuan Desert lowlands up through forested mountain ranges, the forest protects an unusually wide gradient of environments, from gypsum-sand desert and piñon-juniper woodlands to dense stands of ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, aspen, and sub-alpine grasslands above the tree line. The forest is organized into three ranger districts: the Smokey Bear Ranger District in the Capitan Mountains and White Mountains around Ruidoso and Capitan, the Sacramento Ranger District in the Sacramento Mountains near Cloudcroft, and the Guadalupe Ranger District along the New Mexico side of the Guadalupe Mountains near Carlsbad. Together these districts contain two designated wilderness areas, developed recreation sites, working timber lands, grazing allotments, and popular winter sports areas including Ski Apache. Lincoln National Forest is notable both for its ecological range, which exposes visitors to desert, woodland, and sub-alpine settings within a single reserve, and for its cultural and historical significance. It is the forest where the real Smokey Bear was rescued after the 1950 Capitan Gap fire, and it encompasses the rugged landscapes of Lincoln County, the setting of the violent Lincoln County War of the late 1870s.
Explore Lincoln National Forest records by depth and distance
Lincoln National Forest’s earthquake view maps reported epicentres by calculated distance from its southeastern New Mexico boundary, separating the records from Chihuahuan Desert basins and the Sacramento and Guadalupe mountains. Each entry provides a date, magnitude, depth, locality, source, and forest distance for historical comparison without attributing landscape effects, present hazard, or future activity.
This page describes catalogued earthquakes associated with the park by epicentre location and distance. It does not establish causation, assess current danger, or predict future earthquakes.
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Go beyond Lincoln National Forest earthquake records
Southeast
View mapped terrain and geographic context for this Eddy County national park.
Carlsbad Caverns National Park, in Eddy County, United States of America. Landscapes: mountains, caves, and karst.
Southeast
Explore the geography and terrain of this Texas national park.
Guadalupe Mountains National Park, in Culberson County, United States of America. Landscapes: mountains, canyons, and cliffs.
West
Explore its protected boundaries and desert geography.
White Sands National Park is a protected national park renowned for its stunning gypsum dunes, offering a unique landscape within New Mexico's geography. This page provides detailed information on its mapped protected area, serving as a valuable resource for understanding the park's specific geographic context and its identity as a significant protected natural landscape.
North
Canyon-scarred mountain geography and forest ecosystems.
Manzano Mountain Wilderness is a significant protected area defined by its deep, radiating canyons and compressed elevational ranges. From pinyon-juniper foothills to the spruce-fir heights of the crest, this landscape offers a detailed look at the varied natural terrain found within the Cibola National Forest in New Mexico.
North
New Mexico mountain geography and wilderness mapping
Santa Fe National Forest spans more than 1.5 million acres of Northern New Mexico, featuring a dramatic transition from canyon river systems to the high elevations of the Pecos Wilderness. This protected landscape contains a complex network of forest districts across the Jemez and Sangre de Cristo Mountains, defined by volcanic plateaus, alpine basins, and seasonal aspen forests. Use this resource to understand the park boundaries, regional mountain geography, and the interconnected nature of these protected lands.
West
Mapped terrain, forest boundaries, and regional wilderness character
Gila National Forest stands as a critical protected landscape in New Mexico, encompassing immense mountain ranges, narrow river gorges, and extensive backcountry basins. This atlas entry details the forest's topographic transition from high-altitude ponderosa stands to desert lowlands, highlighting its status as the foundational site for the global wilderness movement and a stronghold for regional ecological diversity.
Southwest
A dynamic desert wildlife reserve and arid natural ecosystem
Located in northern Chihuahua, Médanos de Samalayuca is a protected wildlife reserve centered on a massive, shifting field of fine white silica sand. This desert landscape offers a stark contrast to the surrounding scrublands, providing an essential look at the geological forces and climatic extremes that shape the arid environments of the Chihuahuan Desert.
West
Mapped terrain, alpine peaks, and diverse forest ecosystems within the American Southwest
The Gila Wilderness stands as a primary case study in landscape conservation, protecting a massive network of unroaded river canyons and forest-covered mountains in New Mexico. This region serves as a bridge between temperate montane zones and arid desert environments, creating a unique ecological atlas defined by significant altitudinal gradients, volcanic features, and extensive watershed networks across the Mogollon range.
Deepen your understanding of this expansive protected landscape by exploring the geographic connections between its desert basins and high-mountain forests. Use the MoriAtlas resources to trace the complex boundaries and environmental transitions found throughout the Sacramento and Capitan ranges in southeastern New Mexico.