As no large earthquake has occurred between the southern extent of the 1932 Cedar Mountain earthquake 's rupture and the northern extent of the 1872 Lone Pine earthquake 's rupture in the south ( a distance of ) , the zone has been labeled the White Mountain seismic gap . The 1934 M6 .3 Excelsior Mountains earthquake and the 1986 Chalfant Valley event were several smaller earthquakes that have occurred within the gap , and both generated limited surface faulting and some surface cracking in the Volcanic Tableland , which was created .7 million years ago from a major volcanic eruption that also formed the Long Valley Caldera northwest of Bishop . An estimated 500 cubic kilometers of material ( tephra ) produced in the event covers the northern Owens Valley as a rocky landform . The surface of the layered plateau is known as Bishop Tuff and features fumarole mounds and hundreds of north-south oriented fault scarps , many of which are visible on topographic maps , via aerial photography , and satellite imagery
1872 Lone Pine earthquake
1872 Lone Pine earthquake
1986 Chalfant Valley earthquake