List of earthquakes in California

Earthquakes in California are common occurrences as the state is located on the San Andreas Fault, which cuts across California and forms the tectonic boundary between the Pacific and the North American Plate. There are many thousands of small earthquakes per year, most of them are so small that they are not felt.[1] California's complex and interesting landscape can be attributed to the network of faulting that runs underneath the state. The earliest reported earthquake in California was felt in 1769 by the Portola expedition about 30 miles southeast of Los Angeles, probably near the San Andreas Fault.[2][3]

Contents

History

California has hundreds of active faults located throughout the state that are capable of producing large earthquakes. The most active fault is the San Jacinto Fault in Southern California, which has produced large events on a regular basis throughout recent history. The Mendocino Triple Junction located offshore of Northern California is also very active, producing several earthquakes above magnitude 7 throughout history.[4] Northern California is also subject to megathrust earthquakes on the Cascadia subduction zone (extending north from Mendocino), such as the 1700 Cascadia earthquake, magnitude of approximately 9. The town of Parkfield in central California is located on a section of the San Andreas Fault that produces an earthquake of about magnitude 6 every 20–30 years on average in 1857, 1881, 1901, 1922, 1934, 1966 and 2004.[5]

The largest recorded earthquake in California was the 1857 Fort Tejon earthquake, with an estimated magnitude of 8.0. This earthquake ruptured the San Andreas Fault from Parkfield to Wrightwood, a distance of 225 miles (350 km). The most destructive earthquake to date was the 7.9 magnitude 1906 San Francisco earthquake, in which over 3000 people perished in the earthquake and the fires that followed. The 1906 quake ruptured the northern segment of the San Andreas Fault for 296 miles (477 km), from San Juan Bautista to near Cape Mendocino in the north.[6] More recently, the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, which affected the San Francisco bay area,[7] and the 1994 Northridge earthquake which hit the Greater Los Angeles area,[8] caused widespread damage and deaths in their respective regions.

List of earthquakes in California

Note: May include significant earthquakes with the epicenter offshore, in neighboring U.S. state, or Baja California, Mexico. Stated fatalities are not limited to California.

Year Date Time (UTC) Time (Local) Area Magnitude Fatalities Epicenter Title Source
1680 unknown unknown unknown Palm Springs-Indio to San Bernardino 7.7 or 7.8 unknown Along the Southern San Andreas Fault This earthquake affected the Coachella Valley, and San Bernardino sections of the San Andreas. It's unknown if it affected the Mojave section to Wrightwood.
1769 July 28 21:00 13:00 Santa Ana River 6.5-7.0 unknown Los Angeles basin felt widely Portola Expedition earthquake
1800 November 22 21:30 13:30 San Diego 6.5 unknown Most likely to have occurred on the Rose Canyon Fault - Downtown San Diego San Diego earthquake
1812 December 8 15:00 07:00 Wrightwood 6.9-7.5 40 1812 Wrightwood earthquake [9][10]
1812 December 21 19:00 11:00 Santa Barbara 7.1 1? 1812 Santa Barbara earthquake [10][11]
1838 June San Francisco Peninsula 6.8-7.4 1838 San Francisco earthquake [12]
1857 January 9 16:24 08:24 Parkfield-Wrightwood 7.9 2 1857 Fort Tejon earthquake
1865 October 8 20:46 12:46 Santa Cruz Mountains 6.5 1865 San Francisco earthquake [13]
1868 October 21 15:53 07:53 Hayward 6.8-7.0 30 1868 Hayward earthquake
1872 March 26 10:30 02:30 Owens Valley 7.4-7.8 27 1872 Lone Pine earthquake
1892 February 23 7:20 23:20 Imperial Valley 7.2-7.8 1892 Imperial Valley earthquake [14][15][16]
1892 April 19 10:50 02:50 Vacaville 6.4 1 1892 Vacaville-Winters earthquakes [17]
1892 April 21 17:43 09:43 Winters 6.4 1892 Vacaville-Winters earthquakes [18]
1899 December 25 12:25 04:25 San Jacinto 6.5-6.7 6 1899 San Jacinto earthquake [19][20]
1906 April 18 13:12 05:12 San Francisco 7.8 3000+ 1906 San Francisco earthquake
1915 June 22 (Local)
June 23 (UTC)		 03:59 19:59 Imperial Valley 6.3 6 1915 Imperial Valley earthquakes [21][22]
1918 April 21 22:32 14:32 San Jacinto 6.8 1 1918 San Jacinto earthquake [23][24]
1923 January 22 09:04 01:04 offshore Cape Mendocino 7.2 1923 Cape Mendocino earthquake [25]
1925 June 29 14:44 06:44 Santa Barbara 6.3-6.8 13 1925 Santa Barbara earthquake [26][27]
1932 June 6 08:44 01:44 offshore Eureka 6.4 1 1932 Eureka earthquake [28]
1933 March 10 (Local)
March 11 (UTC)		 01:54 17:54 Long Beach 6.4 115 1933 Long Beach earthquake
1940 May 18 (Local)
May 19 (UTC)		 04:37 20:37 Imperial Valley 6.9 9 1940 Imperial Valley earthquake [29][30]
1942 October 21 16:22 09:22 Fish Creek Mountains 6.6 1942 Fish Creek Mountains earthquake [31]
1947 April 10 15:58 07:58 near Barstow 6.5 1947 Manix earthquake [32]
1948 December 4 23:43 15:43 near Desert Hot Springs 6.0 1948 Desert Hot Springs earthquake [33]
1952 July 21 11:52 04:52 Kern County 7.3-7.5 12 1952 Kern County earthquake
1954 March 19 09:54 01:54 west of Salton City 6.4 1954 Arroyo Salada earthquake [34]
1954 December 21 19:56 11:56 east of Arcata 6.5 1 1954 Eureka earthquake [35]
1957 March 22 19:44 11:44 Daly City 5.3 1 1957 Daly City earthquake [36]
1968 April 8 (Local)
April 9 (UTC)		 02:29 18:29 Ocotillo Wells 6.5 1968 Borrego Mountain earthquake [37]
1971 February 9 14:01 06:01 San Fernando 6.6 65 1971 San Fernando earthquake
1979 October 15 23:16 16:16 Imperial Valley 6.5 1979 Imperial Valley earthquake [38]
1980 January 24 19:00 11:00 Livermore 5.8 1980 Livermore earthquake [39]
1980 November 8 10:27 02:27 offshore Humboldt County 7.2 1980 Humboldt County earthquake [40]
1983 May 2 22:42 15:42 Coalinga 6.5 1983 Coalinga earthquake
1984 April 24 21:15 13:15 Morgan Hill 6.2 1984 Morgan Hill earthquake
1986 July 8 08:20 01:20 North Palm Springs 6.0 1986 North Palm Springs earthquake [41][42]
1986 July 13 13:47 06:47 Oceanside 5.3 1 1986 Oceanside earthquake [43]
1986 July 21 13:42 06:42 Chalfant Valley 6.2 1986 Chalfant Valley earthquake [44]
1987 October 1 14:42 07:42 Whittier Narrows 5.9 8 1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake
1987 November 23 (Local)
November 24 (UTC)		 01:54 17:54 Elmore Desert Ranch 6.2 1987 Elmore Ranch earthquake (foreshock of the Superstition Hills earthquake about 12 hours later) [45][46]
1987 November 24 14:15 06:15 Superstition Hills 6.6 2 1987 Superstition Hills earthquake [45][46]
1989 October 17 (Local)
October 18 (UTC)		 00:04 17:04 Santa Cruz Mountains 6.9 63 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake
1991 June 28 14:43 07:43 Sierra Madre 5.6 2 1991 Sierra Madre earthquake [47][48]
1992 April 22 (Local)
April 23 (UTC)		 04:50 21:50 Joshua Tree 6.1 1992 Joshua Tree earthquake [49]
1992 April 25 18:06 11:06 Cape Mendocino 7.2 1992 Cape Mendocino earthquake [50]
1992 June 28 11:57 04:57 Landers 7.3 3 1992 Landers earthquake
1992 June 28 15:05 08:05 Big Bear 6.5 1992 Big Bear earthquake
1994 January 17 12:30 04:30 Northridge 6.7 60 1994 Northridge earthquake
1999 October 16 09:46 02:46 Hector Mine 7.1 1999 Hector Mine earthquake
2003 December 22 19:15 11:15 San Simeon 6.5 2 2003 San Simeon earthquake
2004 September 28 17:15 10:15 Parkfield 6.0 2004 Parkfield earthquake
2005 June 12 15:41 08:41 Anza 5.2 2005 Anza earthquake [51]
2005 June 16 20:53 13:53 Yucaipa 4.9 2005 Yucaipa earthquake [52]
2007 October 30 (Local)
October 31 (UTC)		 03:04 20:04 Alum Rock 5.6 2007 Alum Rock earthquake
2008 July 29 18:42 11:42 Chino Hills 5.5 2008 Chino Hills earthquake
2009 May 17 (Local)
May 18 (UTC)		 03:39 20:39 Inglewood 4.7 2009 Inglewood earthquake
2010 January 9 (Local)
January 10 (UTC)		 00:27 16:27 offshore Humboldt County 6.5 2010 Eureka earthquake [53]
2010 February 4 20:20 12:20 offshore Humboldt County 5.9
2010 March 16 11:04 4:04 Pico Rivera 4.4 2010 Pico Rivera earthquake [54]
2010 April 4 22:40 15:40 northern Baja California 7.2 3 2010 El Mayor-Cucapah earthquake [55]
2010 June 14 (local)
June 15 (UTC)		 04:26 21:26 Ocotillo 5.7 2010 El Mayor-Cucapah aftershock [56]
2010 July 7 23:53 16:53 Borrego Springs 5.4 2010 Borrego Springs earthquake [57]
2011 January 7 23:10 16:10 San Jose California 4.1 2011 Calaveras earthquake
2011 January 12 23:51 08:51 San Juan Bautista 4.5 2011 Cox Sleeper earthquake [58]

Preparedness

There are many ways to protect and prepare possible sites of earthquakes from severe damage, through the following processes: Earthquake engineering, Earthquake preparedness, Seismic retrofit (including special fasteners, materials, and techniques), Seismic hazard, Mitigation of seismic motion, and Earthquake prediction.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) and California Institute of Technology (Caltech) provide public education to California. They hope to provide "public education about seismic hazards and methods of reducing or preventing seismic disaster damage." The California Earthquake Authority outlined the risks earthquakes pose to California and measures households can take to "Quake Safe" their house. Putting Down Roots in Earthquake Country and Dare To Prepare are some of the Earthquake Readiness Campaigns.

"Putting Down Roots in Earthquake Country" is a popular 32-page earthquake science and preparedness handbook was first published in 1995 by the SCEC.[59]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Geology in California". data source. http://geology.about.com/od/geology_ca/California_Geology.htm. Retrieved 2009-03-17. 
  2. ^ "Earthquake History for California". Info from USGS. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/states/california/history.php. Retrieved 2009-03-17. 
  3. ^ "Earthquake Facts". data from USGS. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learning/facts.php. Retrieved 2009-03-18. 
  4. ^ Mendocino Triple Junction Offshore Northern California
  5. ^ The Parkfield, California, Earthquake Experiment USGS
  6. ^ The Great 1906 San Francisco Earthquake USGS
  7. ^ "October 17, 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake". data from USGS. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/nca/1989/. Retrieved 2009-03-18. 
  8. ^ "January 17, 1994 Northridge, CA Earthquake". http://www.lafire.com/famous_fires/940117_NorthridgeEarthquake/quake/01_EQE_exsummary.htm. Retrieved 2009-03-18. 
  9. ^ Historic earthquakes - Southwest of San Bernardino County, California USGS
  10. ^ a b SCEDC Wrightwood Earthquake (1812)
  11. ^ Historic earthquakes - West of Ventura, California USGS
  12. ^ Historic earthquakes - San Francisco area, California USGS
  13. ^ Historic earthquakes - Santa Cruz Mountains, California USGS
  14. ^ Historic earthquakes - Imperial Valley, California USGS
  15. ^ 1892 Laguna Salada Earthquake SCEDC
  16. ^ http://bssa.geoscienceworld.org/cgi/content/abstract/94/4/1571
  17. ^ Historic earthquakes - Vacaville, California USGS
  18. ^ Historic earthquakes - Winters, California USGS
  19. ^ Historic earthquakes - San Jacinto, California USGS
  20. ^ SCEDC San Jacinto Fault Earthquake (1899)
  21. ^ Historic Earthquakes San Jacinto, California USGS
  22. ^ SCEDC - Imperial Valley Earthquake (1915)
  23. ^ Historic Earthquakes San Jacinto, California USGS
  24. ^ SCEDC - San Jacinto Earthquake (1918)
  25. ^ Historic Earthquakes - Off the coast of Humboldt County, California USGS
  26. ^ Historic earthquakes - Santa Barbara, California USGS
  27. ^ SCEDC Santa Barbara earthquake (1925)
  28. ^ Historic Earthquakes - Eureka, California USGS
  29. ^ Historic earthquakes - Imperial Valley, California USGS
  30. ^ SCEDC - Imperial Valley earthquake (1940)
  31. ^ SCEDC - Fish Creek Mountains Earthquake (1942)
  32. ^ SCEDC - Manix Earthquake (1947)
  33. ^ SCEDC - Desert Hot Springs Earthquake(1948)
  34. ^ SCEDC - San Jacinto Fault Earthquake (1954)
  35. ^ Historic Earthquakes - Eureka, California USGS
  36. ^ Historic Earthquakes - Daly City, California USGS
  37. ^ SCEDC - Borrego Mountain Earthquake SCEDC
  38. ^ Historic Earthquakes - Imperial Valley, Mexico-California Border USGS
  39. ^ Historic Earthquakes - North of Livermore Valley, California USGS
  40. ^ Historic Earthquakes - Off the coast of Humboldt County, California USGS
  41. ^ Historic earthquakes - North Palm Springs, California USGS
  42. ^ SCEDC - North Palm Springs Earthquake (1986)
  43. ^ http://www.data.scec.org/chrono_index/oceansid.html
  44. ^ Historic Earthquakes - Chalfant Valley, California USGS
  45. ^ a b Historic earthquakes - West of Westmorland, California USGS
  46. ^ a b SCEDC - Elmore Ranch and Superstition Hills Earthquakes
  47. ^ SCEDC - Sierra Madre Earthquake (1991)
  48. ^ Historic Earthquakes - Southern California USGS
  49. ^ SCEDC - Joshua Tree Earthquake (1992)
  50. ^ Cape Mendocino, California earthquakes USGS
  51. ^ CISN: M5.2 near Anza California Integrated Seismic Network
  52. ^ CISN: M4.9 near Yucaipa California Integrated Seismic Network
  53. ^ Magnitude 6.5 - OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA USGS
  54. ^ Magnitude 4.4 - GREATER LOS ANGELES AREA, CALIFORNIA USGS
  55. ^ [1] USGS
  56. ^ [2] USGS
  57. ^ [3] USGS 07/07/10
  58. ^ [4] USGS 01/12/2011
  59. ^ "Putting Down Roots in Earthquake Country". http://www.earthquakecountry.info/roots/index.php. Retrieved 2009-03-17. 

External links