SEARCH · Search USGS
Search indexed USGS publications on groundwater, aquifers, geologic maps, mineral resources and earthquakes. Explore source records by subject and place.
Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.
Earthquakes caused fatalities in Mexico and Sicily; injuries and damage were sustained in eastern Kazakh SSR and Yugoslavia. There were four major earthquakes; one south of Honshu, Japan, two in the Kuril Islands region, and one in the Soviet Union. The United States experienced a number of earthquakes, but only very minor damage was reported.
July and August were somewhat active seismically speaking, compared to previous months of this year. There were seven earthquakes having magnitudes of 6.5 or greater. The largest was a magnitudes of 6.5 or greater. The largest was a magnitude 8.0 earthquake south of Sumbawa Island on August 19 that killed at least 111. The United States experienced a number of earthquakes during this period, but only one, in California, caused some minor damage.
Seismically speaking, 1978 began slowly. The first major earthquake (magnitude 7.0 and above) of the year occurred on February 9 and was centered in the Kermadec Islands region in the South Pacific Ocean. The first destructive earthquake of the year strukc southern Honshu, Japan, on January 14. The magnitude 6.5 earthquake caused considerable damage and loss of life. The United States experienced a number of earthquakes during this reporting period, but only very minor damage and no casualties were reported.
When an earthquake occurs, we must be ready at the National Earthquake Information Service (NEIS) in Golden, Colo., to provide information as to its magnitude and epicenter as quickly as possible.This information is given to agencies concerned with disaster relief and to the press. A typical scenario for our operations was the recent Rumanian earthquake of March 4, 1977.
October brought two damaging earthquakes to Ecuador and New Guinea. The Ecuador earthquake, although only magnitude 5.5, caused casualties and damage. The new Guinea earthquake, a major quake, caused a loss of life and damage. Two major earthquakes were experienced during November, in eastern Turkey on November 24 and in northern Chile on November 30. The Turkey earthquake was devastating as usual in that area. Other areas of the world experienced strong earthquakes-Iran, China, Solomon Islands, and the Philippine Islands; some caused death and damage. The United States experienced a number of moderate earthquakes, but no signigicant damage sustained.
The months of May and June were somewhat quiet seismically speaking. There was only on significant earthquake, a magnitude 7.2 on June 22 in teh Tonga Islands. In teh United States, the two largest earthquakes occurred in California and on Hawaii.
There were no major earthquakes (7.0-7.9) during the first 2 months of the year, and no fatalities were reported. Three strong earthquakes occurred- New Guinea, Tadzhik S.S.R, and the Aleutian Islands. The Tadzhik earthquake on January 31 caused considerable damage and possible injuries. The United States experienced a number of earthquakes, but only very minor damage was reported.
The month of December was seismically quiet compared to the previous months of the year. There were no major earthquakes during the month and only one that caused fatalities. On December 8, the Republic of South Africa was struck by an earthquake that caused deaths and damage. The United States experienced number of earthquakes, but only very minor damage was reported. This year ended with 18 earthquakes of magnitudes 7.0 or greater and probably ranks as the world's worst year for earthquake fatalities since 1556 when 830,000 people were killed in China.
Destructive earthquakes continued to strike in many parts of the world during this period. The sparsely populated area of the New Hebrides Islands in the southwest Pacific was struck by a major earthquake (one with a magnitude between 7.0 and 7.9). A great earthquake (magnitude 8.0 or above) struck just off the west coast of Mindanao, Philippine Islands, generating a tsunami, killing thousands of people, and causing extensive damage. Three strong earthquakes rocked the Szechwan province of Chian, probably causing loss of life and damage in the epicentral area. The Untied States again did not expereince any destructive earthquakes. The strongest, one of magnitude 5.9, was located in southern Alaska.
This was a seismically active period, with one great earthquake, four major earthquakes, and several strong shocks worldwide. Many persons were killed and thousands were injured in three separate events-in West Irian (west New Guinea), in Bali, Indonesia, and in northeastern China. A great earthquake (one with a Richter magnitude 8.0 or above) occurred in northeastern China. Major earthquakes (those with Richter magnitudes between 7.0 and 7.9) occurred off the southwest coast of Sumatra, in West Irian (west New Guinea), at the Panama-Colombia border, and in northeastern China. In the United States, a number of States were struck by earthquakes, but no significant damage was reported.
There were no major earthquakes (magnitude 7.0-7.9) in March or April; however, there were earthquake fatalities in Chile, Iran, and Venezuela and approximately 35 earthquake-related injuries were reported around the world. In the United States a magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck the Idaho-Utah border region. Damage was estimated at about a million dollars. The shock was felt over a wide area and was the largest to hit the continental Untied States since the San Fernando earthquake of February 1971.
A number of significant earthquakes happened during the last 2 months of 1973. Two major earthquakes (magnitude 7.0-7.9) occurred in the New Hebrides Islands, bringing the final major earthquake total for the year to 11, somewhat below the annual average which is 18. One great earthquake (magntidue 8.0 and above) per year is average, but none occurred in 1973. An earthquake in Tennessee, centered about 30 miles south of Knoxville, caused minor damage in the Maryville-Alcoa area and was felt in seven Southeastern States. New Mexico experienced a sharp earthquake on December 24 that caused minor damage in the Grants area. Other parts of the world suffered fatalities and significant damage from earthquakes. In Iran, an earthquake killed one person, injured many, and destroyed a number of homes. Earthquake fatalities also occurred in the Azores and in Algeria.
During the first 2 months of 1974, earthquakes caused fatalities in Peru and Turkey. The largest earthquake during the period was a magnitude 7.2 shock in the New Hebrides Islands. A local tsunami was generated by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake in the Solomon Islands. The relative quiet that characterized world seismicity during the last year continued through the period. There have been no great earthquakes (magnitude 8.0 or larger) since January 10, 1971, when a magnitude 8.1 shock occurred in western New Guinea.
What is the possibility that an earthquake will occur near you? Have you ever wondered what the chances were that an earthquake could affect you at home or at work? Perhaps you are planning to move to a part of the country subject to frequent earthquakes. How do you determine the relative likelihood that an earthquake will cause damage at a particular place.
The hazards to life and property from earthquakes can be minimized in three ways. First, structures can be designed and built to resist the effects of earthquakes. Second, the location of structures and human activities can be chosen to avoid or to limit the use of areas known to be subject to serious earthquake hazards. Third, preparations for an earthquake in response to a prediction or warning can reduce the loss of life and damage to property as well as promote a rapid recovery from the disaster. The success of the first two strategies, earthquake engineering and land use planning, depends on being able to reliably estimate the earthquake potential. The key considerations in defining the potential of a region are the location, size, and character of future earthquakes and frequency of their occurrence. Both historic seismicity of the region and the geologic record are considered in evaluating earthquake potential.
Landslides are frequent in areas where there is high seismicity and steep slopes. Landslides associated with earthquakes may cause as much damage as the initial ground shaking. They may also occur long after the earthquake. Some of the major earthquakes that have occurred during the past 15 years demonstrate the hazards of seismically triggered landslides. THe Hebgen Lake, Mont., earthquake of 1959 triggered a very large landslide (fig. 1) that killed and injured many people, formed a temporary lake, and blocked travel in the area. The Anchorage, Alaska, earthquake of 1964 triggered extensive subaerial (fig 2.) and submarine landslides; tsunamis (seismic sea waves) generated by the submarine landslides caused extensive damage and many fatalities in coastal areas. The earthquake in western Peru in 1970 triggered a massive debris avalanche (fig. 3) that destroyed the cities of Yungay and Ranrahirca; it probably caused about one-half of the 38,000 fatalities attributed to the earthquake. The San Fernando, Calif., earthquake of February 9, 1971, triggered more than 6000 individual landslides, most of which were small (fig. 4), in the surrounding upland areas. Fortunately, only a few of them damaged manmade structures because residential and industrial development had been restricted almost wholly to the relatively flat floor of the San Fernando Valley. Each of the major earthquakes described above had magnitudes greater than 6.5. Although smaller earthquakes may cause less damage to manmade structures by ground shaking, they are capable of triggering slope failures, especially renewed movements of old, marginally stable landslide deposits (fig. 5), in hillside areas.
At 3:57 a.m on the morning after Christmas Day 1979, a large area of northern England and southern Scotland was shaken by an earthquake. In the mesoseismal area, a few miles north of Carlisle, chimneys toppled into the streets or fell through roofs, and people ran in panic into the open. Over a much wider area, including the densely populated industrial area of central Scotland, people were awakened, and ornaments and other small objects were disturbed. At distances over 120 miles from the epicenter, only a few people noted the tremor. Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man also expereienced the tremor but reportedly at no very great intensity. The distrubed area covered approximately 45,00 square miles.
Seventy-five years ago on April 18, 1906, the most devastating earthquake in United States history occurred in northern California. This earthquake, which occurred at 5:2 in the morning just as the dawn was breaking, came from rupture of the San Andreas fault from San Juan Bautista (near Hollister) northqard for 270 miles to the coast near Eureka. Buildings were damaged everywhere in this region, for a north-south distance of 370 miles, from Arcata to Salinas, and an east-west width of 50 miles inland from the coast. The larger cities of San Francisco, Sna Jose, and Santa Rosa suffered the msot severe damage.