Earthquakes & Natural Disasters 2011

Are the Clintonville, WI "Booms" Related to this event?

2012-03-21T19:17:00.001-07:00

The events that are happening in Clintonville, WI sound almost exactly like what happened on October 4th, 2010 about 79 miles away in Michigan. Eileen Heider heard a loud "boom" followed by her house shaking. She spent to day trying to figure out what happened. It took until the next day when her husband went to get some firewood, he discovered this HUGE crack in the ground. Also the ground had risen 5 feet high, parting the trees to the side. From the road looking towards the woods, the trees appeared to be slanted away from the crack in the ground. Imagine the trees looking like this- V This happened not very far away from where this is happening now. Looking at a map, Clintonville isn't really that far from Menominee, Michigan where the crack appeared.

The details of what is happening in Clintonville, Wisconsin instantly made me think about this video. I guess people should start looking for cracks in the ground and hope this isn't building up into something major.

BREAKING: Fourth Explosion at Japan Nuclear Power Plant!!!

2011-03-16T10:54:00.000-07:00

Video about breaking news of a fourth nuclear reactor experiencing a fire and/or explosion. Radiation levels in Tokyo are 23 times higher than normal. Japan's Fukushima nuclear reactors are on the verge of full meltdowns that would be a global catastrophe.

Big Nuclear Expolsion (w Mushroom Cloud) at Fukushima Nuclear Plant

2011-03-14T21:49:00.000-07:00

LARGE ATOMIC EXPLOSION AT FUKUSHIMA NUCLEAR POWER PLANT ON MARCH 13TH 2011

'Catastrophic' radiation exposure, more blasts at Fukushima nuclear reactor

2011-03-14T21:40:00.000-07:00

Japan's Prime Minister has addressed the nation as fears intensify about a possible nuclear meltdown at a power-plant struck by last Friday's catastrophic earthquake and tsunami. The company running the Fukushima nuclear power plant has admitted meltdown is a possibility following 2 fresh explosions at the complex. There are also fears of radioactive leakage with reports of damage to the structure protecting the reactor.

Fresh AMAZING FOOTAGE of huge tsunami waves smashing town in Japan

2011-03-14T11:35:00.000-07:00

As survivors of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami grappled with the enormity of the devastation, more footage emerged on Sunday showing the moment the tsunami struck Japan's northeast coast. Residents of the port town of Kamaishi in Iwate prefecture watched in horror as the first huge tsunami waves hit, sweeping away cars and buildings. One group managed to scramble to safety on higher ground, where they watched as the water surged towards them. Others were stranded on the roof of a multi-story building as the water level rose rapidly below..

Japan Earthquake: Helicopter aerial view video of giant tsunami waves

2011-03-14T11:28:00.000-07:00

A ferocious tsunami spawned by one of the largest earthquakes on record slammed Japan's eastern coast on Friday, killing hundreds of people as it swept away ships, cars and homes while widespread fires burned out of control. Police said 200 to 300 bodies were found in the northeastern coastal city of Sendai, the city in Miyagi prefecture, or state, closest to the epicenter. Another 137 were confirmed killed, with 531 people missing. Police also said 544 people were injured

Japan earthquake: CCTV video of tsunami wave hitting Sendai airport

2011-03-14T11:14:00.000-07:00

The government has confirmed 23 deaths, with the number expected to rise. It follows the 8.9-magnitude earthquake which sent a 4-metre wall of water inland across the Miyagi prefecture . There's considerable destruction - 200 people have been washed away. Buildings, cars and ships were also swept by the raging waters. Several are missing on Japan's Sendai island. The first wave has also reached Russia's Kuril islands to the north, reportedly around a metre high. There are several fires along Japan's eastern coastline, and 4 million homes are without power. The Prime Minister's ordered an emergency response team to tackle the disaster - with aircraft scrambled to the worst-affected area. Communication is crippled and Tokyo's Norita International Airport has been closed. The entire Pacific region is on tsunami alert - with Hawaii braced to be hit within the next few hours.

New dramatic video: Tsunami wave spills over seawall, smashes boats, cars

2011-03-14T10:37:00.000-07:00

Dramatic new pictures emerged on Sunday of a tsunami wave smashing into the Japanese town of Miyako, in Iwate Prefecture, on Friday. The wave crashes over the seawall carrying away everything in its path, including boats that topple over the wall and are smashed into a bridge. Cars were simply washed away, crashing into each other and buildings. More than 1,400 people were killed by the quake and resulting tsunamis and hundreds more were still missing, according to officials, but police in one of the worst-hit areas estimated the number of dead there alone could eventually top 10,000.

New Madrid EarthQuakes, HAARP Kills Birds & Proof of FEMA Drill

2011-01-08T10:31:00.000-08:00

We're making SOLID connections between the Bird & Fish deaths, caused by the use of H.A.A.R.P., in an attempt to create havoc by initiating an earthquake on the New Madrid
Fault line. WATCH the ENTIRE VIDEO!!! COMMENTS?

New York Earthquake History

2010-12-01T12:54:00.000-08:00

Strong earthquakes in 1638, 1661, 1663, and 1732 in the St. Lawrence Valley and a shock near Newberry, Mass. in 1727 were felt in New York before the first notable tremor centered within the State was recorded. On December 18, 1737, an earthquake near New York City threw down a number of chimneys (intensity VII). This shock was reported felt at Boston, Philadelphia, and at New Castle, Delaware.

Walls vibrated, bells rang, and objects fell from shelves (intensity VI) at Buffalo from a shock on October 23, 1857. Also, a man seated on a chair was reportedly thrown to the ground. At Lockport, rumbling noises were heard for a full minute. This shock was felt as far as Hamilton, Peterborough, and Port Hope, Ontario, Canada; Rochester, New York; and Erie and Warren, Pennsylvania. The total felt area covered approximately 46,000 square kilometers.

A rather severe earthquake centered in northeastern New York caused moderate damage along the St. Lawrence River and in the Lake Champlain area in 1877. Crockery was overturned, ceilings cracked, and chimneys were thrown down (intensity VII) from the November 4 tremor. At Saratoga Springs, buildings were shaken and a roaring sound was heard; at Auburn, windows were damaged. The earthquake was felt throughout a large part of New York and New England and eastern Canada, about 233,000 square kilometers.

On August 10,1884 an earthquake caused large cracks in walls at Amityville and Jamaica (intensity VII). The shock was felt strongly at New York City. In addition, 30 towns from Hartford, Connecticut, to West Chester, Pennsylvania, reported fallen bricks and cracked plaster. The total felt area was estimated at 181,000 square kilometers.

A shock reported as severe, but with no damage noted (intensity VI), occurred in northeastern New York on May 27, 1897. It was felt over the greater portion of New York and parts of adjacent New England States and Quebec, Canada.

A very large area of the northeastern United States and eastern Canada, about 4,200,000 square kilometers, was shaken by a magnitude 7 earthquake on February 28, 1925 (March 1, universal time). A maximum intensity of VIII was reached in the epicentral region, near La Malbaie, Quebec, Canada. A large portion of New York State experienced intensity IV effects; lesser intensities were noted south of Albany.

Extensive damage occurred in the Attica area from a strong shock on August 12, 1929. Two hundred and fifty chimneys were thrown down, plaster was cracked or thrown down, and other building walls were noticeably damaged (intensity VIII). Many cemetery monuments fell or were twisted. Dishes fell from shelves, pictures and mirrors fell from walls, and clocks stopped. An increased flow at the Attica reservoir was noted for several days after the earthquake; a number of wells near the reservoir went dry. There was some damage at Batavia and other points at similar distances. A wall was cracked at Sayre, Pennsylvania. The earthquake was felt throughout most of New York and the New England states, northeastern Ohio, northern Pennsylvania, and southern Ontario, Canada; a total area of about 250,000 square kilometers. Strong aftershocks were felt at Attica on December 2 and 3; dishes fell from shelves and clocks stopped.

The opposite end of the State experienced similar damage from another shock less than 2 years later. On April 20, 1931, an earthquake centering near Lake George threw down about 20 chimneys at Warrensburg and twisted a church spire (intensity VII). A small landslide was reported on McCarthy Mountain. At Glen Falls, walls were cracked, dished broken, and clocks stopped. At Lake George, buildings swayed and store goods fell from shelves. At Luzerne, some Chimneys were damaged and windows broken. The shock was felt over 155,000 square kilometers, but with less intensity in the Catskills than at equal distances in other directions. This anomaly was also noted in the August 12, 1929, Attica earthquakes.

The magnitude 6 1/4 earthquake centered near Timiskaming, Quebec, Canada, on November 1, 1935, caused slight damaged at many points in New York. The damage was limited, in general, to plaster cracks, broken windows, and cracked chimneys. The shock was felt throughout New York, as far south as Washington, D.C., and as far west as Wisconsin. An earthquake centered near Lake Ossipee, New Hampshire on December 24, 1940, caused widespread, though slight, damage in the epicentral region, extending into Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Reports from Dannemora, New York, noted plaster and windows cracked and some dishes broken. The shock was felt over all of New York State.

On September 4th, 1944 an earthquake centered about midway between Massena, New York, and Cornwall, Ontario, Canada, caused an estimated $2,000,000 damage in the two cities. The shock destroyed or damaged about 90 percent of the chimneys at Massena (intensity VIII), with similar effects at Cornwall. In addition, masonry, plumbing, and house foundations were damaged at Massena. Many structures were rendered unsage for occupancy until repaired. Press reports indicated a large number of wells in St. Lawrence County went dry, causing acute hardship. Brick masonry and concrete structures were damaged at Hogansburg; some ground cracking was also noted at nearby towns. This earthquake was felt over approximately 450,000 square kilometers in the United States, including all the New England States, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and portions of Michigan and Ohio. A few points in Illinois, Indiana, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin also reported feeling the tremor.

A magnitude 4.7 disturbance on January 1, 1966, caused slight damage to chimneys and walls at Attica and Varysburg. Plaster fell at the Attica State Prison and the main smokestack was damaged (intensity VI). The total felt area was about 46,500 square kilometers.

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/states/new_york/history.php
Abridged from Earthquake Information Bulletin, Volume 7, Number 4, July - August 1975, by Carl A. von Hake.

Historic Earthquakes

Between Massena, New York and Cornwall, Ontario, Canada
Magnitude 5.80
Intensity VIII

Largest Earthquake in New York

This severe earthquake was felt from Canada south to Maryland and from Maine west to Indiana. It caused property damage estimated at $2 million at Massena and Cornwall. Many chimneys in that area required rebuilding, and several structures were unsafe for occupancy until repaired. Residents of St. Lawrence County reported that many water wells went dry.

At Massena, in northern St. Lawrence County, 90 percent of the chimneys were destroyed or damaged and house foundations, plumbing, and masonry were damaged severely. Similar effects were reported at Cornwall. Cracks formed in the ground at Hogansburg, and brick-masonry and concrete structures were damaged. Chimneys were downed in several towns in New York, including Fort Covington, Keeseville, Malone, Norfolk, Ogdensburg, and Waddington.
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/states/events/1944_09_05.phpAbridged from Seismicity of the United States, 1568-1989 (Revised), by Carl W. Stover and Jerry L. Coffman, U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1527, United States Government Printing Office, Washington: 1993.

CRACK IN UPPER MICHIGAN GETS BIGGER..

2010-12-01T10:36:00.000-08:00

UPDATE: The crack that appeared in Upper Michigan over the summer has gotten BIGGER.. The video shows the crack as it appears today. This is a change from a few months ago.. This crack is increasing in size and depth. Check out this video and post your comments below..

Massive 6.6 Strikes Japan Region!!

2010-11-29T20:52:00.000-08:00

Magnitude 6.6 BONIN ISLANDS, JAPAN REGION

At 9:24pm a strong Magnitude 6.6 struck an island 500 miles south of Tokyo, Japan.

http://www.latimes.com/news/la-fgw-japan-earthquake-20101130,0,7830941.story

Magnitude	6.6
Date-Time	Tuesday, November 30, 2010 at 03:24:41 UTC Tuesday, November 30, 2010 at 01:24:41 PM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location	28.415°N, 139.139°E
Depth	478.3 km (297.2 miles)
Region	BONIN ISLANDS, JAPAN REGION
Distances	335 km (210 miles) WNW of Chichi-shima, Bonin Islands, Japan 455 km (285 miles) NNW of Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, Japan 525 km (325 miles) S of Hachijo-jima, Izu Islands, Japan 810 km (500 miles) S of TOKYO, Japan

The following is from the West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center:

NOTE JMA MAGNITUDE REVISION TO 7.2. NOTE JMA LONGITUDE REVISION TO 139.3E.

A strong earthquake has occurred, but a tsunami IS NOT expected along the California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, or Alaska coast. NO tsunami warning, watch or advisory is in effect for these areas.

A damaging tsunami IS NOT expected along the California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and Alaska coasts although some of these areas may experience non-damaging sea level changes.

At 7:25 PM Pacific Standard Time on November 29, an earthquake with preliminary magnitude 7.2 occurred in the Bonin Islands, Japan region . (Refer to the United States Geological Survey for official earthquake parameters.)

Pacific coastal regions outside California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and Alaska should refer to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center messages for information on the event.

For complete details go to: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/usc0000h7t.php#details

California Earthquake History & Supplies

2010-11-20T17:48:00.000-08:00

California Earthquake History

The first strong earthquake listed in earthquake annals for California occurred in the Los Angeles region in 1769, probably near the San Andreas Fault. Four violent shocks were recorded by the Gaspar de Portola Expedition, in camp about 30 miles southeast of Los Angeles center. Most authorities speculate, even though the record is very incomplete, that this was a major earthquake.

Forty persons attending church at San Juan Capistrano on December 8, 1812, were killed by a strong earthquake that destroyed the church. Many mission buildings were severely damaged there and at San Gabriel. The shock probably centered on a submarine fault offshore.

A violent shock near Fort Tejon in January 1857 threw down buildings and large trees at the Fort. It was also severe in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Sacramento. This earthquake has been compared to that of April 1906; both caused extensive displacement along the San Andreas Fault. One source notes, "The magnitude of the two events cannot have differed greatly."

A strong earthquake occurred on the Hayward Fault, the principal active branch of the San Andreas in central California, in October 1868. Some 30 persons were killed in the region. Damage was severe at San Francisco; many buildings were wrecked at Hayward and San Leandro. Until 1906, this shock was often referred to as "the great earthquake."

An earthquake in the Sierra - Nevada Fault system in March 1872, killed 27 people at Lone Pine and destroyed 52 of 59 adobe houses. Near Owens Lake, numerous depressions formed between cracks in the earth. One area 200 to 300 feet wide sank 20 to 30 feet; several long, narrow ponds formed. Thousands of aftershocks, some severe, appear to have occurred.

Nearly all brick structures were wrecked, and many frame buildings were damaged in Vacaville by an earthquake on April 19, 1892. Damage was similar at Winters and Dixon, two small towns nearby. Ground fissures were noted in the area. The shock centered north of Santa Rosa, in the Healdsburg Fault area.

On Christmas Day of 1899, six persons died and several were injured at Saboba, near San Jacinto, by a strong shock. At nearby Hemet, nearly all brick buildings were severely damaged, with only two chimneys remaining upright. This shock occurred on the San Jacinto Fault, and has been compared to the April 1918 (magnitude 6.8) shock in the same region.

Seven hundred persons died on April 18, 1906, in one of the greatest earthquakes ever to hit California. Damage was extensive in San Francisco, and was increased perhaps tenfold by raging fires. Total damage was estimated at over $500 million.

Two destructive shocks nearly one hour apart caused about $1 million property damage in southern Imperial Valley on June 22, 1915. Six persons were killed and several injured by the second quake at Mexicali, located just inside the Mexican border. Unstable banks of the New and Alamo Rivers caved in many places. Magnitude 6 1/4, both shocks.

A shock on the San Jacinto Fault in April 1918 caused heavy damage at San Jacinto and Hemet. Only one new concrete and one frame building remained standing in the business section of San Jacinto; property loss was about $200,000. The dry earth surface was broken up, as though by a harrow, in the San Jacinto Fault area southeast of Hemet. One auto was carried off the road by a slide; many area roads were blocked. Magnitude 6.8.

Santa Barbara sustained $8 million damage and 13 fatalities from an offshore shock in June 1925. The shock occurred in the Santa Barbara Channel, on an extension of the Mesa Fault or the Santa Ynez system. On State Street, the principal business thoroughfare, few buildings escaped damage; several collapsed. One on marshy ground withstood the shaking well, but its foundation sank 19 feet. The shock occurred at 6:42 a.m., before many people had reported for work and when streets were uncrowded, reducing death and injury. Magnitude 6.3.

The shock of November 1927 wrecked chimneys at Lompoc, shifted a house on its foundation, and caused heavy earth and rockslides on steep slopes. Water spurted from the ground in places; sand craters formed.

The Long Beach earthquake of March 1933 eliminated all doubts regarding the need for earthquake resistant design for structures in California. Forty million dollars property damage resulted; 115 lives were lost. The major damage occurred in the thickly settled district from Long Beach to the industrial section south of Los Angeles, where unfavorable geological conditions (made land, water-soaked alluvium) combined with much poor structural work to increase the damage. At Long Beach, buildings collapsed, tanks fell through roofs, and houses displaced on foundations. School buildings were among those structures most generally and severely damaged. The epicenter was offshore, southeast of Long Beach, on the Newport - Inglewood Fault. Magnitude 6.3.

Nine people were killed by the May 1940 Imperial Valley earthquake. At Imperial, 80 percent of the buildings were damaged to some degree. In the business district of Brawley, all structures were damaged, and about 50 percent had to be condemned. The shock caused 40 miles of surface faulting on the Imperial Fault, part of the San Andreas system in southern California. It was the first strong test of public schools designed to be earthquake-resistive after the 1933 Long Beach quake. Fifteen such public schools in the area had no apparent damage. Total damage has been estimated at about $6 million. Magnitude 7.1.

The towns of Tehachapi and Arvin were hit severely by the July 1952 Kern County earthquake. Twelve persons died, many were injured, and $60 million property damage was sustained. Damage to well designed structures was slight, but old and poorly built buildings were cracked, and many collapsed. Reinforced tunnels with walls 18 inches thick near Bealville were cracked, twisted, and caved in; rails were shifted and bent info S-shaped curves. Near Caliente, reinforced concrete railroad tunnels were demolished. Many aftershocks occurred, three over 6 on the Richter scale. One aftershock on August 22 (magnitude 5.8) centered near Bakersfield. It took two lives and caused extensive damage to many already weakened buildings. The Kern County earthquake, the largest with an epicenter in California since 1906, originated on the White Wolf Fault.

Abridged from Earthquake Information Bulletin, Volume 3, Number 2, March - April 1971, by Carl A. von Hake.

Most Historic California Earthquake

Fort Tejon, California
1857 01 09 16:24 UTC
Magnitude 7.9

Largest Earthquake in California

This earthquake occurred on the San Andreas fault, which ruptured from near Parkfield (in the Cholame Valley) almost to Wrightwood (a distance of about 300 kilometers); horizontal displacement of as much as 9 meters was observed on the Carrizo Plain. It caused one fatality. A comparison of this shock to the San Francisco earthquake, which occurred on the San Andreas fault on April 18, 1906, shows that the fault break in 1906 was longer but that the maximum and average displacements in 1857 were larger.

Property loss was heavy at Fort Tejon, an Army post about 7 kilometers from the San Andreas fault. Two buildings were declared unsafe, three others were damaged extensively but were habitable, and still others sustained moderate damage. About 20 kilometers west of Fort Tejon, trees were uprooted, and buildings were destroyed between Fort Tejon and Elizabeth Lake. One person was killed in the collapse

of an adobe house at Gorman. Strong shaking lasted from 1 to 3 minutes.

Instances of seiching, fissuring, sandblows and hydrologic changes were reported from Sacramento to the Colorado River delta. Ground fissures were observed in the beds of the Los Angeles, Santa Ana, and Santa Clara Rivers and at Santa Barbara. Sandblows occurred at Santa Barbara and in the flood plain of the Santa Clara River. One report describes sunken trees, possibly associated with liquefaction,

in the area between Stockton and Sacramento.

Changes in the flow of streams or springs were observed in the areas of San Diego, Santa Barbara, Isabella, and at the south end of San Joaquin Valley. The waters of the Kern, Lake, Los Angeles, and Mokulumme Rivers overflowed their banks. Changes in the flow of water in wells were reported

from the Santa Clara Valley in northern California.

Felt from Marysville south to San Diego and east to Las Vegas, Nevada. Several slight to moderate foreshocks preceded the main shock by 1 to 9 hours. Many aftershocks occurred,

and two (January 9 and 16) were large enough to have been widely felt.

Abridged from Seismicity of the United States, 1568-1989 (Revised), by Carl W. Stover and Jerry L. Coffman, U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1527, United States Government Printing Office, Washington: 1993.

ALL of California's Historic Earthquakes

This Web site contains eyewitness accounts and historical photographs from notable damaging earthquakes that have occurred in or near Santa Barbara County, California. It also contains a catalog of all earthquakes that have been felt in the greater Santa Barbara region between 1800 and 1960. http://projects.crustal.ucsb.edu/sb_eqs/

Tennessee Earthquake History

2010-11-15T17:16:00.000-08:00

Tennessee

Earthquake History

The western part of Tennessee was shaken strongly by the New Madrid, Missouri, earthquake of 1811 - 1812 and by earthquakes in 1843 and 1895. The area has also experienced minor shocks. Additional activity has occurred in the eastern part of the State, near the North Carolina border.

The three great earthquakes that occurred in the Upper Mississippi region near New Madrid in 1811 - 1812 rank among the most significant events in U.S. history. maximum intensity for each of the large shocks is estimated at XII. Topographic changes were noted over an area of 75,00 to 130,00 square kilometers; the total area shaken was at least 5 million square kilometers. Damage was very small for such great earthquakes because of sparse population. Chimneys were knocked down in many places in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Missouri. The most seriously affected area was characterized by raised and sunken lands, fissures, sinks, sand blows, and large landslides. The most typical sunken land is Reelfoot Lake in Tennessee. This lake is from 12 to 16 kilometers in length and from 3 to 5 kilometers in width. The submergence ranged from 1.5 to perhaps 6 meters, although greater depths were reported.

On January 4, 1843, a severe earthquake (intensity VIII) affected Memphis and other places in western Tennessee. The shock was reported to have lasted 2 minutes, though this is probably exaggerated. Walls were cracked, chimneys fell, and windows were broken. The total felt area was about 1 million square kilometers. The shock was strongly felt in Knoxville and caused considerable alarm but did no damage. It was also sharply felt in Nashville. Another tremor on November 28, 1844, caused some bricks to fall from chimneys in Knoxville (VI). Windows and dishes rattled and sounds like distant thunder were heard. Memphis experienced additional damage from a July 19, 1895, earthquake. Walls and chimneys cracked, and people were in panic (VI).

A strong shock centered at Knoxville on March 28, 1913, was felt over an area of 7,000 square kilometers in eastern Tennessee. Two shocks were felt in many places. Movable objects were overthrown, and bricks fell from chimneys (VII). A number of false alarms were set off at fire stations.

Buildings throughout the city shook violently. The Knox County Courthouse, a massive brick structure, trembled noticeably. People outdoors experienced a distinct rise and fall in the ground; there were some cases of nausea.

Another earthquake in the Mississippi Valley region caused damage in Tennessee and Arkansas on May 7, 1927. It was strongest at Jonesboro, Arkansas, where some chimneys fell (VII). However, the felt area indicated that the epicenter was farther to the east, in Tennessee. Damage there was limited to the shattering of window panes and breaking of dishes in the Memphis area. Many people were awakened by the early morning (2:28 AM) rapid rocking motion; in addition, surface and subterranean sounds were heard. The shock was also felt in parts of Alabama, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Missouri, an area of about 337,000 square kilometers.

A sizable area in western Tennessee was affected by a fairly strong earthquake centered near Covington on November 16, 1941. Cracks appeared in the courthouse at Covington, where the tremor was noticed by everyone (V-VI). At Henning, it was felt by many, and an explosive noise preceded the trembling. The shock was also felt at Dyersburg, Frayser, Memphis, Millington, Pleasant Hill, and Ripley.

Dyersburg was the center of another disturbance on July 16, 1952. The press reported numerous cracks in a concrete-block structure. The earthquake was felt by nearly all, and many persons were frightened (VI). It was also felt at Finley and Jenkinsville. A weak aftershock was felt by a few people.

An earthquake centered near the Arkansas - Tennessee border (near Finley) awakened many residents on January 25, 1955. The 1:24 AM shock broke windows and damaged plaster walls at Finley, where it was felt by all (VI). The total felt area, including points in Illinois and Kentucky, covered about 75,000 square kilometers.

An early morning shock (3:02 AM) on March 29, 1955, was felt by everyone in Finley (VI). Plaster was cracked in one home. A roaring noise and violent shaking were reported. The tremor was felt by many at Caruthersville, Missouri.

Minor damage occurred at Covington from a January 28, 1956, earthquake. Chimneys and walls were cracked (VI). Many were awakened at Covington, and the press reported some residents left their homes at Henning. The shock was also felt in Arkansas and Missouri. Two tremors about 13 minutes apart were felt over a broad area of eastern Tennessee and adjoining parts of Kentucky, North Carolina, and Virginia on September 7, 1956. At Knoxville, both shocks were felt by nearly all, many of whom were alarmed (VI). Windowpanes shattered, dishes broke, objects were shaken from shelves, pictures fell, and some plaster was knocked from walls. The total felt area covered approximately 21,500 square kilometers.

An earthquake sequence consisting of one foreshock, a magnitude 4.6 main shock, and more than 30 aftershocks occurred south of Knoxville during the latter part of 1973. The foreshock, magnitude 3.4, on October 30, was felt over an area of 2,100 square kilometers, with a maximum intensity of V. The main shock cause minor damage (VI) in several towns in eastern Tennessee, Georgia, Kentucky, and North Carolina. Minor cracks in walls at the University of Tennessee Hospital at Knoxville were reported. Minor damage to walls, windows, and chimneys occurred in the Maryville - Alcoa area. The shock disrupted relay contacts at the Alcoa switching station, causing a temporary loss of power. The total felt area, including parts of South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia, as well as the region mentioned above, covered about 65,000 square kilometers. A network of eight portable seismographs was installed in the main epicentral area. This network was operational from December 2 through December 12 and recorded 30 small magnitude aftershocks. Additional aftershocks were reported felt on December 13, 14, and 21.

Abridged from Earthquake Information Bulletin, Volume 9, Number 2, March - April 1977.

ILLINOIS EARTHQUAKES- Is it almost time for a Big One?

2010-11-14T18:51:00.000-08:00

JUST A LITTLE HISTORY ON THE STATE OF ILLINOIS-

The earliest report of an Illinois earthquake is of a shock in 1795 felt at Kaskaskia for a minute and a half. Subterranean noises were heard. It was also felt in Kentucky. Due to the sparse frontier population, an accurate location is not possible and the shock may have originated outside the State.

Among the largest earthquakes occurring in Illinois was the May 26, 1909, shock which knocked over many chimneys at Aurora. It was felt over 500,000 square miles and strongly felt in Iowa and Wisconsin. Buildings swayed in Chicago where there was fear that the walls would collapse. Beds moved on their casters.

Just under two months later a second intensity VII earthquake struck on July 18, knocking down chimneys in Petersburg, Illinois, and at Hannibal, Missouri, and Davenport, Iowa. Over twenty windows were broken, bricks loosened and plaster cracked in the Petersburg area. It was felt over only 40,000 square miles.

On August 14, 1965, a sharp but local shock occurred at Tamms, a town of about 600 people. The magnitude 5 shock broke chimneys, cracked walls, knocked groceries from the shelves, and muddied the water supply. Thunderous earth noises were heard. It was felt only at Elco, Unity, Olive Branch, and Olmstead, all towns less than 10 miles away. Six aftershocks were felt. It is interesting to compare this shock with the May 26, 1909, shock and the 1968 shock described below: all had maximum intensities of VII but two had abnormally large felt areas more than 100 times larger than that of the Tamms earthquake.

An earthquake of intensity VII occurred on November 9, 1968. A magnitude 5.3 shock, it was felt over 580,000 square miles in 23 states. There were reports of people in tall buildings in Ontario and Boston feeling the shock.

Damage consisted of bricks being knocked from chimneys, broken windows, toppled television antennae, and cracked plaster. There were scattered reports of cracked foundations, fallen parapets, and over-turned tombstones. Chimney damage was limited to buildings 30 to 50 years old. Many people were frightened. Church bells rang and the characteristic "X" cracks were observed at Broughton and several other towns. Loud rumbling earthquake noise was reported from many communities.

An intensity VI - VII earthquake occurred on April 12, 1883, awakening every one in Cairo. One old frame house was shaken down, resulting in slight injury to the inhabitants, the only record of injury in the State due to earthquakes.

The possibility of damage to parts of Illinois from earthquakes originating outside the State is dominated by the threat of a repeat of the 1811 - 1812 New Madrid great earthquakes, which were felt over at least 2 million square miles from Canada to New Orleans, and in Boston and Washington, D.C. There are few reports from the area, but intensities VII to IX could have been experienced over the entire State.

A Missouri earthquake on November 4, 1905, cracked walls in Cairo. Aftershocks were felt over 100,000 square miles in nine states. In Illinois it cracked the wall of the new education building in Cairo and a wall at Carbondale.

On November 7, 1958, a shock along the Indiana border resulted in damage at Bartelso, Dale and Maunie. Plaster cracked and fell, and a basement wall and floor were cracked.

Dozens of other shocks originating in Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, Nebraska, Tennessee, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, and Canada have been felt in Illinois without causing damage.

[Abridged from Earthquake Information Bulletin, Volume 4, Number 3, May-June 1972.] 1804 Aug 20

20:10 4.4M Intensity VI

Fort Dearborn (Chicago), Illinois ( 42.0N 87.8W )

The earthquake was felt at the south end of Lake Michigan and at Fort Wayne, Ind. (about 320 km from the epicenter).

1838 Jun 9 14:45 5.2M Intensity VII

Southern Illinois ( 38.5N 89.0W )

Several catalogs place the epicenter of this earthquake near St. Louis, Mo., because of a report of a chimney being thrown down at St. Louis and because it was "severely felt" at St. Charles, Mo. Although reported effects do not support an intensity of VII, that intensity is assigned because of the similarity of the distribution of intensity to that of the earthquake of Oct. 8, 1857. Felt reports recorded at common points are one-half to one unit of intensity higher for the 1857 earthquake. Also felt in Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky.

1857 Oct 8 10:00 4.9M Intensity VII

Southern Illinois ( 38.7N 89.2W )

This severe earthquake was centered in the Mississippi River valley between St. Louis, Mo., and Centralia, Ill. At Centralia, the first of three reported shocks threw down chimneys; at St. Louis, it moved furniture, dislocated bricks, and felled plaster. The largest buildings rocked and articles fell from mantles. Reports indicate that the Mississippi River was in tumult. Felt in many towns in Illinois, along the Mississippi River south of Hannibal, Mo., in western Kentucky, and in parts of Indiana and Iowa.

1876 Sep 25 06:00 4.5M Intensity VI

Wabash River Valley (Illinois) ( 38.5N 87.8W )

(06:00 and 06:15) These earthquakes were felt most strongly between Friendsville and Mt. Carmel, Ill., and Evansville, Ind. They were described as "heavy" at Friendsville. The second shock threw down chimneys at Vincennes, Ind., alarmed residents at Evansville, Ind., and caused slight damage at Louisville and Owensboro, Ky. They were felt from St. Louis, Mo., to Indianapolis, Ind., and Louisville, Ky.

1876 Sep 25 06:15 4.8M Intensity VII

Wabash River valley (Illinois) ( 38.5N 87.8W )

See 1876 09 25 06:00.

1881 Jun 27 00:00 4.6M Intensity VI

La Salle, Illinois ( 41.3N 89.1W )

Before daybreak, a shock in the southwest part of La Salle, about 90 km northeast of Peoria, formed six parallel fissures that were traceable for 183 m in a northwest-southeast direction. Walls, foundations and furnaces in bottle and glass factories cracked in many places.

1882 Sep 27 10:20 4.4M Intensity VI

Southern Illinois ( 39.0N 89.5W )

A chimney was cracked severely at Greenfield, Green County, Ill., and a crack in the wall of a building was widened considerably at Salem, Marion County. People were awakened and small objects were displaced throughout the area. The felt area extended from Mexico, Mo., to Vincennes, Ind., and Henderson, Ky., in an east-west direction, and from Springfield to Pickneyville, Ill., in a north-south direction.

1883 Apr 12 08:36 Intensity VI

Cairo, Illinois ( 37.0N 89.2W )

A strong local earthquake rattled windows for 30 seconds and awakened everyone in Cairo, in southern Illinois near the Kentucky-Missouri border. People were injured slightly in the collapse of an old frame house.

1887 Aug 2 18:36 4.9M Intensity VI

Southern Illinois ( 37.2N 88.5W )

This severe shock broke windows at Cobden, Ill., cracked brick walls at Jonesboro, Ill., and Russellville, Ky., and loosened some plaster at Nashville, Tenn. Also felt in Indiana and Missouri and as far south as Huntsville, Ala.

1891 Sep 27 04:55 5.2M Intensity VII

Near Mount Vernon, Illinois ( 38.250N 88.5W )

Several chimneys were toppled at Mount Vernon, and the ceiling and sidewalls of the Methodist Church were damaged. Chimney damage also was reported at Browns and Nashville, Ill., and Cloverport, Ky. Plaster was knocked down at Jerseyville, Murphysboro, and Warsaw, Ill. Also felt in all or parts of Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, and Tennessee.

1903 Feb 9 00:21 4.9M Intensity VII

Mississippi River Valley (Illinois) ( 37.8N 89.3W )

This earthquake threw down chimneys in Jackson County at Grand Tower and Murphysboro, Ill., and damaged chimneys east of Murphysboro, at Carterville and Harrisburg, Ill. It was strongly felt from Jeffersonville, Mo. to Louisville, Ky., and from Cairo, Ill., to Hannibal, Mo.

1905 Aug 22 05:08 4.8M Intensity VI

Southern Illinois ( 37.2N 89.3W )

Chimneys were shaken down at Cairo, Pulaski County, Ill, and about 40 km southwest, at Sikeston, Mo. Chimneys also were broken or partly collapsed at nearby Charleston, Mo., and about 175 km southeast, at Clarksville, Tenn. The earthquake was felt most strongly along the Mississippi and Ohio River valleys, including parts of Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee.

1909 Jun 26 14:42 5.1M Intensity VII

Aurora, Illinois ( 41.6N 88.1W )

This earthquake has been related to the La Salle anticline in the Illinois Basin. Many chimneys fell, a stove overturned, and gas line connections broke at Aurora, west of Chicago. Several chimneys were downed at Forreston, Naperville, Streator, Triumph, and Troy Grove, and one fell at Waukegan. Brick walls cracked at Bloomington, and sidewalks cracked and many chimneys were damaged at Freeport. At Platteville, Wis., about 130 km northwest of Chicago, an old building was cracked; houses were jostled out of plumb at Beloit, Wis., about 240 km northwest of Chicago. Felt from Missouri to Michigan and Minnesota to Indiana.

1909 Jul 19 04:34 4.8M Intensity VII

Between Havana and Petersburg, Illinois ( 40.2N 90.0W )

Chimneys were demolished on more than 100 buildings in Menard County at Petersburg, northwest of Springfield. At a farm west of Petersburg, 20 windows broke and bricks pushed out above the doors. Fallen chimneys also were reported northwest of Springfield at Davenport, Iowa, and west of Springfield at Hannibal, Mo. Several newspaper articles describe this earthquake but do not report property damage.

1912 Jan 2 16:21 4.5M Intensity VI

Near Aurora, Freeport, Morris, and Yorkville, Illinois? ( 41.5N 88.5W )

The highest intensity was reported at those towns in Kane, Stephenson, Grundy, and Kendall Counties, respectively. Slight damage to chimneys was reported at Batavia and Geneva, Ill., north of Aurora, in Kane County. Two distinct shocks were observed at some places. The stronger shock also was felt in parts of Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky (Fulton County), and Wisconsin.

1917 Apr 9 20:52 5.1M Intensity VII

Southern Illinois in the Mississippi River valley ( 38.1N 90.2W )

At St. Louis, Mo., several chimneys were knocked down, windows were broken, and people were thrown to the pavement. At Granite City, Mo., buildings shifted on their foundations. At DeSoto, Mo., in Jefferson County, bricks fell from chimneys and the walls of several buildings were cracked. Many windows were broken and buildings rocked at Ste. Genevieve and St. Mary, Mo., south of St. Louis near the Illinois border. Heavy rumbling preceded and accompanied the earthquake in places. Felt from Kansas to Ohio and from Wisconsin to Mississippi.

1922 Mar 22 22:29 4.8M Intensity VII

Southern Illinois ( 37.4N 89.4W )

This strong earthquake knocked down 25 chimneys at Illmo, Scott County, Mo., and sent people rushing out of stores. Dishes fell from shelves at Carbondale, Ill. Also felt in Kentucky and Tennessee.

1922 Mar 23 02:22 4.6M Intensity VI

Southern Illinois ( 37.4N 89.4W )

At Illmo, Mo., south of Cape Girardeau in Scott County, the earthquake knocked down "many more chimneys" (see description of the main shock on Mar. 22, 1922). The shock was "violent" at Belleville, Ill., and "severe" at Jonesboro, Ill. Stovepipes were downed at Cape Girardeau, Mo., and people were knocked off their feet. Also felt at Evansville, Ind.

1922 Nov 27 03:31 4.8M Intensity VII

Near Eldorado, Illinois ( 37.8N 88.5W )

The earthquake broke several windows and downed chimneys at Eldorado. One chimney flue was demolished and stovepipes fell at Harrisburg, 8 km southwest of Eldorado. Generally felt in southern Illinois, western Indiana, northern Kentucky, eastern Missouri, and western Tennessee.

1934 Nov 12 14:45 4.0M Intensity VI

Near Rock Island, Illinois ( 41.5N 90.5W )

In Rock Island and Moline, Ill., and Davenport, Iowa, bricks fell from a few chimneys and pendulum clocks stopped. In Rock Island, a stucco cornice was dislodged from St. Joseph's School; some loose plaster was shaken from ceilings in the men's dormitory at Augustana College, and loose bricks were shaken from a few buildings.

1939 Nov 23 15:14 4.6M Intensity V

Near Griggs, Illinois ( 38.180N 90.137W )

[Listed without Summary in SUS. Summary from EHUS.] Intensity just short of damage. Affected area included most of Illinois, Missouri, and parts of Wisconsin, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Iowa.

1947 Jun 30 04:23 4.2M Intensity VI

Waterloo-Dupo, Illinois, area, south of Saint Louis, Missouri ( 38.4N 90.2W )

At St. Louis, several chimneys were toppled and a sidewalk was cracked.

1953 Sep 11 18:26 4.0M Intensity VI

Southwest Illinois ( 38.8N 90.1W )

At Roxana, north of East St. Louis, in Madison County, cracks formed in a concrete-block foundation and in plaster. Also felt in eastern Missouri.

1955 Apr 9 13:01 4.3M Intensity VI

West of Sparta, Illinois ( 38.232N 89.785W )

Concrete foundations and plaster walls were cracked at Evansville, Ill. (about 20 km west of Sparta), and at Lemay, University City, and Webster Groves, Mo. Also felt in Kentucky and Missouri.

1958 Nov 8 02:41 4.4M Intensity VI

Southeast Illinois, near Indiana border ( 38.436N 88.8W )

Plaster fell at Dale (Hamilton County) and Albion (Edwards County), and a basement wall cracked at Maunie (White County). Also felt in Indiana, Kentucky, and Missouri.

1965 Aug 14 13:13 3.4M Intensity VII

Southwest Illinois ( 37.226N 89.307W )

This strong local earthquake at Tamms (Alexander County) downed chimneys, cracked walls, muddied water, and knocked stock from shelves.

1968 Nov 9 17:01 5.2M Intensity VII

Southern Illinois ( 37.911N 88.373W )

This was the strongest felt earthquake in southern Illinois since the 1895 Missouri event. Property damage in the area consisted mainly of fallen bricks from chimneys, broken windows, toppled television aerials, and cracked or fallen plaster. In the epicentral area, near Dale, Hamilton County, MM intensity VII was characterized by downed chimneys, cracked foundations, overturned tombstones, and scattered instances of collapsed parapets.

Most buildings that sustained damage to chimneys were 30 to 50 years old. A large two-story brick house near Dale, Ill., sustained several thousand dollars damage. About 10 km west of Dale, near Tuckers Corners, a concrete and brick cistern collapsed. A large amount of masonry damage occurred at the City Building at Henderson, Ky., 80 km east-southeast of the epicenter. Moderate damage to chimneys and walls occurred in several towns in south-central Illinois, southwest Indiana, and northwest Kentucky. Felt over all or parts of 23 States: from southeast Minnesota to central Alabama and Georgia and from western North Carolina to central Kansas. People in multistory buildings in Boston, Mass. and southern Ontario, Canada, felt the earthquake.

1972 Sep 15 05:22 4.0M Intensity VI

Northern Illinois ( 41.645N 89.369W )

Cracks in chimneys, tombstones, elevated water tanks, and plaster occurred at Amboy (Lee County), south of Rockford. Chimney and plaster cracks were observed at Holcomb, northeast of Amboy, in Ogle County. Also felt in Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

1974 Apr 3 23:05 4.3M Intensity VI

Southeast Illinois ( 38.549N 88.072W )

Minor damage, generally in the form of cracked and broken chimneys, occurred in Wabash County. At West Salem, a few chimneys and tombstones were shaken down and other chimneys were damaged. Slight damage occurred at many towns in Indiana and Illinois. Also felt in Arkansas, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

1984 Jun 29 07:58 4.1M Intensity VI

Southern Illinois ( 37.7N 88.470W )

At Harrisburg, in Saline County, one house sustained structural damage. Also felt in western Kentucky and southeast Missouri.

****[The above summaries were abridged from Seismicity of the United States, 1568-1989 (Revised), by Carl W. Stover and Jerry L. Coffman, U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1527, United States Government Printing Office, Washington: 1993 and from Preliminary Determinations of Epicenters Monthly Listing.]****

Largest Earthquake in Illinois

Southern Illinois
1968 11 09 17:01:40.5 UTC
Magnitude 5.4
Intensity VII

Most buildings that sustained damage to chimneys were 30 to 50 years old. A large two-story brick house near Dale, Illinois, sustained several thousand dollars damage. About 10 kilometers west of Dale, near Tuckers Corners, a concrete and brick cistern collapsed. A large amount of masonry damage occurred at the City Building at Henderson, Kentucky, 80 kilometers east-southeast of the epicenter. Moderate damage to chimneys and walls occurred in several towns in south-central Illinois, southwest Indiana, and northwest Kentucky. Felt over all or parts of 23 States: from southeast Minnesota to central Alabama and Georgia and from western North Carolina to central Kansas. People in multistory buildings in Boston, Massachusetts and southern Ontario, Canada, felt the earthquake.

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MAJOR EARTHQUAKES NEAR THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA

2010-11-05T12:28:00.000-07:00

Adak, Alaska is a small island extending towards Russia in the Aleutian Island region. It is the westernmost municipality in the United States and the southernmost city in Alaska. The 2009 census showed a population of 361 people and the city has a total area of 127.3 square miles. They sit on top of a huge cliff so to speak, just off the coast the ground drops off to a small ledge and then drops down again. These earthquakes appear to be happening deep in the waters surrounding this area. Most have been located on the shelf half way to the bottom.

The earthquakes started 2 days ago and they have had 40 so far with a magnitude of 3.0 or higher. The strongest was a 5.2 at 5am CST today, Friday November 5th, 2010. These started on Wed. with a 5.0 & 5.1 right after each other.. There is no telling when these will stop as the ground continues to shake. The last quake since this blog was made was a 4.4 at 12:25pm CST today...

The Aleutian Islands were historically occupied by the Unanga, more commonly known now as the Aleuts. The once heavily-populated island was eventually abandoned in the early 19th century as the Aleutian Island hunters followed the Russian fur trade eastward, and famine set in on the Andreanof Island group. However, they continued to actively hunt and fish around the island over the years, until WWII broke out. Adak Army installations allowed U.S. forces to mount a successful offensive against the Japanese held islands of Kiska and Attu. After the war, Adak was developed as a naval air station, playing an important role during the Cold War as a submarine surveillance center. Large earthquakes rocked the island in 1957, 1964 and 1977.

At its peak, the station housed over 6,000 naval and Coast Guard personnel and their families. In 1994, the base was downsized, and both family housing and schools were closed. The station officially closed on March 31, 1997. The Aleut Corporation purchased Adak's facilities under a land transfer agreement with the Department of the Interior and the US Navy/Defense Department. This agreement was finalized in March, 2004. About 30 families with children relocated to Adak in September 1998, most of them Aleut Corp. shareholders, and the former high school was reopened at that time as a K-12 institution. The community incorporated as a second-class city in April 2001. Substantially all of the infrastructure and faciltities on Adak are owned by Aleut Corporation, who is currently developing Adak as a commercial center via their subsidiary companies. For example, properties in active use are leased by Adak Commercial Properties, LLC.

Since World War II, the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard developed facilities and recreation opportunities at Adak. At its peak, Adak had a college, a McDonalds restaurant, movie theater, roller skating rink, swimming pool, ski lodge, bowling alleys, skeet range, auto hobby shop, photo lab, and racquetball and tennis courts. A new $18-million hospital was built in 1990, just seven years prior to the closure of the station. By March 2003, six years after the closure of the station, most of these facilities had closed. For a time, Adak became a virtual ghost town, with its buildings showing little sign of wear or disuse. In recent years, preventing trespassing in and vandalism of the unoccupied facilities has become an ongoing struggle for the Aleut Corp. The harsh Aleutian wind and weather has also played a part, all but destroying the majority of facilities remaining on Adak that are not in active use.

CREDIT- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adak,_Alaska

During the past century, four large and well documented tsunamis were generated in the waters off the Alaskan coast. These include the 1946 and 1957 Aleutian events, the 1958 Lituya Bay event, and the 1964 Alaskan event. While all four tsunamis were produced by seismic activity, the intensities, processes of generation (ie. landslide vs. tectonic), and areas of affected coastline differ for each.

http://www.usc.edu/dept/tsunamis/alaska/

ALASKA EARTHQUAKE HISTORY

The earth's most active seismic feature, the circum-Pacific seismic belt, brushes Alaska and the Aleutian Islands, where more earthquakes occur than in the other 49 States combined. More than 80 percent of the planet's tremors occur in the circum-Pacific belt, and about six percent of the large, shallow earthquakes are in the Alaska area, where as many as 4,000 earthquake at various depths are detected in a year.

Early reports of earthquakes in Alaska are fragmentary. The first event in this incomplete record occurred on Sanak and Shumagin Islands, south of the Alaska Peninsula, in July 1788. Apparently no volcanic activity accompanied this event, but the islands of Sanak and Unga and a part of the Alaska Peninsula were inundated by an apparent tsunami (seismic sea wave). The records note, "Some natives lost their lives and hogs drowned."

Instrumental locations of earthquakes since about 1900 indicate that earthquakes in Alaska center principally in two seismic zones. The most important is the Aleutian Island Arc, one of the planet's most active seismic areas, which extends about 2,500 miles, from Fairbanks in central Alaska through the Kenai Peninsula to the Near Islands. It maintains a width of nearly 200 miles throughout most of the zone. The second zone begins north of Yakutat Bay in southeastern Alaska and extends southeastward to the west coast of Vancouver Island.

From 1899 to 1969, eight earthquakes of magnitude 8 or more on the Richter scale have occurred in Alaska. Four caused extensive property damage and topographic changes; four centered in areas with no nearby towns, and, except for being recorded by seismographs, went relatively unnoticed.

The Alaskan earthquake that is outstanding in the memory of most occurred in the Anchorage area on March 27, 1964. The magnitude 8.5 [recalculated to 9.2] shock devastated downtown Anchorage and left homes twisted and broken in the residential section of Turnagain. A tsunami virtually destroyed many of Alaska's coastal towns and spread death and destruction along the west coast of the United States, Hawaii, and Canada.

Since the temblor occurred on Good Friday, a holiday for schools, and at a time when most people were out of office buildings and on their way home from work, few deaths were caused by the earthquake itself. But 122 persons were drowned by the ensuing tsunami waves: 107 in Alaska, 11 in California, and 4 in Oregon.

The Yakutat Bay area of southeastern Alaska experienced one of the notable earthquakes of the last century on September 10, 1899. Although this shock was preceded one week earlier by a magnitude 8.2 earthquake, most of the effects were associated with the September 10 event which was rated magnitude 8.6 on the Richter scale.

Both of the shocks were felt at villages over 400 miles from Yakutat Bay. The only settlement in the area was Yakutat village, over 30 miles form the Bay. The shaking there on September 3 was described by eye-witnesses at "violent, and impossible to stand without holding on to something." Prospectors in Disenchantment Bay, an arm of Yakutat Bay, described the September 3 shock as "slight," compared to the earthquake a week later. Eight men camped near Disenchantment Bay during this violent shock barely escaped with their lives. Behind one camp the water in a small lake left its banks and swept down toward the beach, carrying masses of rock with it. The prospectors described a wave immediately afterward to be 20 feet high; it washed inland over the beach and swept everything away but a few provisions and one boat. All managed to escape to Yakutat.

There is little doubt that changes in land level, chiefly uplifts, occurred at the time of these earthquakes. During June 1899, three months before the shocks, the Harriman Scientific Expedition visited the region to study glaciers and did not report unusual land-level changes. Also, photographs taken in 1895 showed coasts and islands as they had been previously mapped. A field investigation in this area was undertaken in 1905 by a U.S. Geological Survey party. They reported the largest uplifts in land ranged from 30 feet to about 47 1/2 feet on the west coast of Disenchantment Bay. Changes of 17 feet or more affected a large area, and, in a few cases, 1 to 7 foot depressions occurred.

In October 1900, a magnitude 7.9 earthquake was felt from Yakutat Bay to Kodiak, and probably farther westward. On Kodiak Island chimneys were downed, and a man was thrown from his bed. The shock probably centered near Cape Yakataga in southeastern Alaska. Property damage was very moderate for such a great shock, due to the sparsity of population.

The Andreanof Island sustained a magnitude 8.8 earthquake in March 1957 that caused very severe damage on Adak and Unimak Islands. A damaging tsunami was generated, and a wall of water 40 feet high smashed the coastline of Scotch Cap on Unimak Island. Sand Bay, near Adak, reported 26 foot waves inundated its shores.

On Adak, this earthquake destroyed two bridges, damaged some housed, and left gaping cracks in the road. Some cracks were reportedly 15 feet wide, but this is probably an error. At Umnak, part of a dock was destroyed, a cement mixer turned upside down, and other heavy equipment was scattered about. In addition, Mount Vsevidof erupted after being dormant for 200 years. At Sand Bay, the tsunami waves washed away several buildings and damaged oil lines. Millions of dollars in property damage occurred in Hawaii and Japan as a result of the tsunami; minor damage was sustained in southern California and in Central America. This earthquake initiated a series of aftershocks that extended more than 700 miles along the southern edge of the Aleutians.

During the period 1899 to 1969, eight great earthquakes occurred in Alaska, numerous major earthquakes (magnitude 7 to 7.9) centered in the State. Thirteen occurred in or near populated regions and caused minor to severe damage - eight in the intensity (Modified Mercalli Intensity scale) VI category; one, intensity VII; three, intensity VIII; and one, intensity XI. Probably 150 or more occurred in uninhabited areas. Some of the more significant shocks are described below.

On July 22, 1937, a magnitude 7.3 earthquake occurred in central Alaska, about 25 miles southeast of Fairbanks, that was felt over most of Alaska's interior, about 300,000 square miles. About ten years later, on October 15, 1947, a magnitude 7.3 shock occurred in the same region. It was preceded by a swarm of shocks, some very minute, others violent.

On April 7, 1958, a magnitude 7.3 shock centered in central Alaska near Huslia. Within a 40 to 50 miles radius of Huslia, cracks in lake and river ice, and many ground cracks and mud flows, were observed. Evidence of pressure ridges, lakes thawing, numerous lakes filled with black slimy mud, and craters 20 feet across and 6 feet deep were reported. Some minor damage to log structures was sustained in Huslia.

The strongest shock since those of September 1899 at Yakutat hit southeastern Alaska on July 9, 1958. It was rated magnitude 7.9 on the Richter scale. Three persons were killed on Khantaak Island, and two were missing and presumed dead after being caught in a huge wave generated by the shock in Lituya Bay.

This magnitude 7.9 shock was felt by residents over 400,000 square miles of Alaska, as far south as Seattle, Washington, and east to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada.

The largest magnitude earthquake in the central interior of Alaska since October 1947 occurred on October 29, 1968. Rated magnitude 6.5, the shock centered southeast of the village of Rampart, on the Yukon River. This area was badly shaken, but no damage was sustained, since most buildings at Rampart were of log construction. Most residents were frightened from buildings, goods toppled from shelves, and equipment not bolted down shifted. Greatest evidence of the shaking was in the Hunter Creek area near Rampart. Many landslides occurred, most on south-facing slopes. Lake ice cracks were extensive in some areas and were observed some 50 miles from the epicenter in the Minto Lakes area. Ground cracks were noted at Nenana, about 50 miles southeast of Rampart, and plaster cracked and fell. During the first 24 hours after the earthquake, College Observatory recorded over 2,000 aftershocks.

Abridged from Earthquake Information Bulletin, Volume 2, Number 2, March - April 1970.

Wyoming Earthquakes like no other...

2010-10-26T20:26:00.000-07:00

Earthquake History

The first earthquake known to originate in Wyoming occurred on June 25, 1894, near Casper. Dishes fell to the floor, and a number of people were thrown from their beds (MM V). The Platte River was thick with mud, apparently stirred up by the tremor. On November 14, 1897, another shock caused considerable damage to the Grand Central Hotel at Casper. A 2- to 4-inch crack extended from the third to the first story (MM VI-VII). Frightened citizens dashed into the streets.
A moderate earthquake on July 25, 1910, shook houses (MM V) and was felt in mine shafts at Rock Springs. On May 8, 1915, a shock was felt (MM V) in the north-central part of Yellowstone National Park. Thirteen minor shocks were felt (MM V) at Kelly during the March 23 - April 12, 1923, period. A strong earthquake with noticeable rumbling (MM V) occurred at Big Horn on November 17, 1925. The tremor was felt in Johnson and Sheridan Counties, an area of approximately 7800 square kilometers. Mine props near Thermopolis were loosened during an earthquake on February 13, 1928, and later became tight (MM V). Bumping and trembling sensations were reported at Thermopolis; there were sounds noted before the shock was felt. The earthquake was also felt at Crosby, Gebo, Kirby, Owl Creek, and Worland. The felt area covered about 7800 km square.
One brick building, at Grover was cracked from a June 12, 1930, tremor (MM VI). Also, a concrete swimming pool about 5 kilometers northwest of town was cracked. Minor aftershocks continued sporadically until November 16. Another long series of moderate shocks occurred in the Yellowstone Park area from August 24 to December 22, 1930. Dishes fell, and other light damage occurred (MM V). Cracked plaster and broken dishes were also reported from a January 26, 1932, earthquake south of Yellowstone Park. At Grovemont, Jackson, Kelly, and Moran, people were awakened (MM V-VI) by the shock. The telephone line westward into Idaho was put out of order, presumably by the earthquake. The tremor was also felt at DuBois and Lander. There were a number of aftershocks felt at Jackson on January 26 and 27.
Persons vacated office buildings at Lander during a moderate earthquake on November 23, 1934. Slight damage occurred (MM V). The tremor was strong at Atlantic City and was also felt at Riverton and Rock Springs. The total felt area included approximately 21,000 km square. Two brick chimneys were cracked (MM VI), and small objects were moved near the south entrance to Yellowstone Park on January 14, 1936. The shock was also felt at Moran, where beds rocked from the 9:40 PM jolt. Another earthquake was felt by everyone (MM V) at the West Thumb Ranger Station in Yellowstone Park on August 5, 1942. Windows and dishes rattled from the tremor.
The region south of Yellowstone Park was disturbed again on February 23, 1948. Intensity VI effects were observed at Jackson, Moran, and Wilson; windows, doors, and dishes rattled, hanging objects swung, buildings creaked, and so forth. At Moran, a piano and a bed shifted. The shock was felt over an area of approximately 3900 km square.
Medicine Bow National Forest in southeastern Wyoming was jolted by an earthquake on January 20, 1954. Furnishings shifted and windows rattled (MM V) at Albany; buildings shook at Centennial and Laramie. It was also strongly felt at Foxpark and Jelm, where a lighter aftershock was felt about 5 hours after the 1:50 PM tremor. Felt reports were received from Cowdrey, Colo., and Tie Siding, Wyo.; the total area affected was about 5200 km square. Yellowstone Park was shaken again on July 4, 1954. Many residents at Mammoth were awakened (MM V) by a 12:40 AM tremor. Another shock at 9:32 AM caused buildings to creak and small objects to shift; also, windows, doors, and dishes rattled loudly. Four or five minor shocks with the same type of effects (MM V) were felt in the Old Faithful area on April 28, 1958.
The magnitude 7.1 earthquake centered near Hebgen Lake, Montana, occurred just before midnight on August 17, 1959. At least 28 persons died, and over \$11 million damage resulted. In Yellowstone National Park, about 18,000 people were vacationing. No one was killed or badly injured, although huge boulders smashed down onto roads and buildings in the park were shaken noticeably and did sustain some minor damage. The well-known thermal features of the park were disrupted by the tremor. Old Faithful's eruptions slowed slightly from an average 61-minute cycle to 65 minutes. Other geysers changed eruption times, new ones began to erupt, and many bubbling springs burst into violent activity. The earthquake was felt over one-half of Wyoming, an area included within a diagonal running from southwest to northeast. Minor felt reports were received from Casper and from Hat Creek, near the Nebraska State line.
Numerous aftershocks continued in Yellowstone Park through 1963. Maximum intensities were V and VI, and the felt areas generally were small. Dates and descriptions of these events are contained in Earthquake History of the United States Many additional shocks of intensity IV or less are listed in the annual United States Earthquakes publications.
On February 25, 1963, a magnitude 4.3 earthquake jarred windows, doors, and dishes at Fort Washakie (MM V). The rapid 2- to 3-second shock shifted a bed in one home. The shock was also felt at Lander. The area around Van Tassell, near the Nebraska State line, felt a moderate earthquake on March 27, 1964. Doors and dishes rattled and furniture vibrated (MM V). Thunderlike noises were heard. The tremor was also felt in parts of western Nebraska and South Dakota. The same general area felt a magnitude 4.5 shock on August 21, 1964. Intensity V effects were observed at Keeline, Lost Springs, and Lusk; it was also felt at Jay Em, Lance Creek, and Node.
Slight damage (MM V) occurred at Thermopolis from a magnitude 4.1 earthquake on December 8, 1972. The ceiling was cracked at a rest home; the concrete floor of a lumber yard building settled about 7.6 centimeters. The shock was felt in much of the surrounding area. On April 21, 1973, the area between Jeffrey City and Lander was shaken by a magnitude 4.8 earthquake. Many residents were awakened by the 11:07 PM tremor (MM V).
Yellowstone National Park experienced another strong shock on August 30, 1974. Intensity V effects were reported at Norris, Old Faithful, and West Yellowstone. Numerous additional small tremors were recorded on the seismograph at the Old Faithful Visitor Center. Another swarm of minor tremors was recorded on October 17. This increased seismic activity culminated on June 30, 1975, with a magnitude 6.4 earthquake. Rockslides and landslides stopped or hindered traffic on many roads in the park. Some geysers were affected (MM VII). Telephone service was out for several hours. The shock was felt over approximately 50,000 square kilometers of Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, and scattered places in Nevada, South Dakota, Utah, and Washington. Several aftershocks occurred in the area through July. Still another series of earthquakes originated in the northwestern corner of Yellowstone Park during December 1976. The largest of these shocks, magnitude 5.1, occurred on December 9. Intensity V effects were reported at Canyon Village; intensity IV effects, at Madison Junction and Mammoth Hot Springs; and intensity III effects, at the Old Faithful Visitor Center.
A small earthquake, magnitude 2.3, occurred near Rawlins on January 27, 1976. The tremor knocked a lamp off a table and pictures from a wall (MM V) according to a press report. No other felt reports were received.
From Earthquake Information Bulletin, Volume 10, Number 4, July-August 1978, by Carl von Hake.

NOTABLE WYOMING EARTHQUAKES

1959 08 18 - Wyoming - M 6.5
1975 06 30 - Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming - M 6.1
1995 02 03 - Wyoming - M 5.3 Fatalities 1
2002 10 22 - Alpine Northeast, Wyoming - M 4.2
2003 08 21 - Wyoming - M 4.5
2004 01 07 - Wyoming - M 5.0
2004 04 07 - Wyoming - M 4.0
2004 08 29 - Wyoming - M 3.8

Indonesia 7.7 Earthquake

2010-10-25T09:00:00.000-07:00

The Indonesian region is one of the most seismically active zones of the earth; at the same time it has a leading position from the point of view of active and potentially active volcanoes. It is a typical island-arc structure with its characteristic physiographic features, such as a deep oceanic trench, a geanticline belt, a volcanic inner arc and a marginal basin.
In most subduction zones, motion of the subducted plate is nearly perpendicular to the trench axis. In some cases, for example Sumatra, where the motion is oblique to the axis, a strike-slip fault zone is seen, and is lying parallel to the volcanic chain.
In the subduction zone southwest of Sumatra, the Sunda trench axis strikes approximately N 37°W. The Indian Ocean crust is moving in an azimuth of approximately N 23°E relative to Southeast Asia, giving an angle of obliquity of 60°. Eastern Indonesia, forming the southeastern extremity of the Southeast Asian lithospheric plate, crushed between the northward-moving Indo-Australian and the westward-moving Pacific plates, is certainly the most complex active tectonic zone on earth. The rate of subduction is some centimeters per year; for example, it is 6.0 cm per year in the West Java Trench at 0°S 97°E (azimuth 23°); 4.9 cm per year in the East Java Trench at 12°S 120°E (azimuth 19°); and 10.7 cm per year in New Guinea at 3°S 142°E (azimuth 75°).
Frequent volcanic eruptions and frequent earthquake shocks testify to the active tectonic processes which are currently in progress in response to the continued movement of these major plates. The distribution of small ocean basins, continental fragments, remnants of ancient magmatic arcs and numerous subduction complexes which make up the Indonesian region indicate that the past history of the region was equally tectonically active.
Abridged from Southeast Asia Association of Seismology and Earthquake Engineering, Series on Seismology, Volume V - Indonesia, June 1985.

Tectonics of Indonesia

Most of Indonesia's volcanoes are part of the Sunda arc, a 3,000-km-long line of volcanoes extending from northern Sumatra to the Banda Sea. Most of these volcanoes are the result of subduction of the Australia Plate beneath the Eurasia Plate. Volcanoes in the Banda Sea result from subduction of the Pacific Plate under the Eurasia Plate. Black "teeth" are on the overriding plate. Arrows show direction of movement along major transform faults. Simplified from Lee and Lawver, 1995, Tectonophysics, v. 251, p. 85-138.

About one-fourth of Indonesia's volcanoes are north of the Sunda arc in an area with complex tectonics. Several small plates have produced mostly north-south trending subduction zones. The volcanoes of Sulawesi, Halmahera, and Sangihe are the result of these subduction zones. Simplified from Hamilton (1979).

The distribution of earthquakes in the subducted plates can be used to make a cross-section of the Molucca Sea area. Most of the Molucca Sea Plate has been "consumed" (subducted) by the Halmahera subduction zone in the east and by the Sangihe subduction zone in the west. The volcanoes of Sulawesi, Sangihe, and Halmahera are fed by magma generated in the asthenospheric mantle that has been modified by fluids derived from the subducted Molucca Sea Plate. In a few million years, all of the Molucca Sea Plate will be subducted and the Sangihe and Halmahera plates will collide, shutting off volcanism. Simplified from Hamilton (1979).
Indonesia has 76 volcanoes that have erupted in historic time - the largest number for any volcanic region. These volcanoes have had at least 1,171 eruptions, placing Indonesia second (after Japan) for the region with the most dated eruptions.
Indonesia has had the highest number of eruptions that:

produced fatalities
caused damage to land used for agriculture
generated mudflows
generated tsunami
grew lava domes
produced pyroclastic flows

The Volcanological Survey of Indonesia was established in 1920. In recent decades, the survey has evacuated people living near volcanoes prior to several large eruptions, avoiding fatalities except for a few eruptions. A few examples illustrate the value of carefully monitoring volcanoes:

in 1991, during the eruption of Lokon-Empung, 10,000 people were evacuated and there was only one fatality
in 1990, during the eruption of Kelut, 60,000 people were evacuated and there were 32 fatalities
in 1988, during the eruption of Makian, 15,000 people were evacuated and there were no fatalities
in 1982, during the eruption of Galunggung, 75,000 people were evacuated and there were 68 fatalities

Sources of Information: Hamilton, W., 1979, Tectonics of the Indonesian region: U.S. Geological Survey Prof. Paper 1078.
Neumann van Padang, M., 1951, Indonesia. Catalogue of the Active Volcanoes of the World, International Association of Volcanology, 1, Rome, Italy, 271 p.
Neumann van Padang, M., 1983, History of volcanology in the former Netherlands east Indies: Scripta Geol, v. 71, p. 1-76.
Simkin, T., and Siebert, L., 1994, Volcanoes of the World: Geoscience Press, Tucson, Arizona, 349 p.

Indonesia's variations in culture have been shaped--although not specifically determined--by centuries of complex interactions with the physical environment. Although Indonesians are now less vulnerable to the vicissitudes of nature as a result of improved technology and social programs, to some extent their social diversity has emerged from traditionally different patterns of adjustment to their physical circumstances.

Indonesia is a huge archipelagic country extending 5,120 kilometers from east to west and 1,760 kilometers from north to south. It encompasses 13,667 islands (some sources say as many as 18,000), only 6,000 of which are inhabited. There are five main islands (Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and Irian Jaya), two major archipelagos (Nusa Tenggara and the Maluku Islands), and sixty smaller archipelagos. Two of the islands are shared with other nations; Kalimantan (known in the colonial period as Borneo, the world's third largest island) is shared with Malaysia and Brunei, and Irian Jaya shares the island of New Guinea with Papua New Guinea. Indonesia's total land area is 1,919,317 square kilometers. Included in Indonesia's total territory is another 93,000 square kilometers of inlands seas (straits, bays, and other bodies of water). The additional surrounding sea areas bring Indonesia's generally recognized territory (land and sea) to about 5 million square kilometers. The government, however, also claims an exclusive economic zone, which brings the total to about 7.9 million square kilometers.
Geographers have conventionally grouped Sumatra, Java (and Madura), Kalimantan (formerly Borneo), and Sulawesi (formerly Celebes) in the Greater Sunda Islands. These islands, except for Sulawesi, lie on the Sunda Shelf--an extension of the Malay Peninsula and the Southeast Asian mainland. Far to the east is Irian Jaya (formerly Irian Barat or West New Guinea), which takes up the western half of the world's second largest island--New Guinea--on the Sahul Shelf. Sea depths in the Sunda and Sahul shelves average 200 meters or less. Between these two shelves lie Sulawesi, Nusa Tenggara (also known as the Lesser Sunda Islands), and the Maluku Islands (or the Moluccas), which form a second island group where the surrounding seas in some places reach 4,500 meters in depth. The term Outer Islands is used inconsistently by various writers but it is usually taken to mean those islands other than Java and Madura.
Tectonically, this region--especially Java--is highly unstable, and although the volcanic ash has resulted in fertile soils, it makes agricultural conditions unpredictable in some areas. The country has numerous mountains and some 400 volcanoes, of which approximately 100 are active. Between 1972 and 1991 alone, twentynine volcanic eruptions were recorded, mostly on Java. The most violent volcanic eruptions in modern times occurred in Indonesia. In 1815 a volcano at Gunung Tambora on the north coast of Sumbawa, Nusa Tenggara Barat Province, claimed 92,000 lives and created "the year without a summer" in various parts of the world. In 1883 Krakatau in the Sunda Strait, between Java and Sumatra, erupted and some 36,000 West Javans died from the resulting tidal wave. The sound of the explosion was reported as far away as Turkey and Japan. For almost a century following that eruption, Krakatau was quiet, until the late 1970s, when it erupted twice.
Mountains ranging between 3,000 and 3,800 meters above sea level can be found on the islands of Sumatra, Java, Bali, Lombok, Sulawesi, and Seram. The country's tallest mountains, which reach between 4,700 and 5,000 meters, are located in the Jayawijaya Mountains and the Sudirman Mountains in Irian Jaya. The highest peak, Puncak Jaya, which reaches 5,039 meters, is located in the Sudirman Mountains.
Nusa Tenggara consists of two strings of islands stretching eastward from Bali toward Irian Jaya. The inner arc of Nusa Tenggara is a continuation of the chain of mountains and volcanoes extending from Sumatra through Java, Bali, and Flores, and trailing off in the Banda Islands. The outer arc of Nusa Tenggara is a geological extension of the chain of islands west of Sumatra that includes Nias, Mentawai, and Enggano. This chain resurfaces in Nusa Tenggara in the ruggedly mountainous islands of Sumba and Timor.
The Maluku Islands (or Moluccas) are geologically among the most complex of the Indonesian islands. They are located in the northeast sector of the archipelago, bounded by the Philippines to the north, Irian Jaya to the east, and Nusa Tenggara to the south. The largest of these islands include Halmahera, Seram, and Buru, all of which rise steeply out of very deep seas. This abrupt relief pattern from sea to high mountains means that there are very few level coastal plains.
Geographers believe that the island of New Guinea, of which Irian Jaya is a part, may once have been part of the Australian continent. The breakup and tectonic action created both towering, snowcapped mountain peaks lining its central east-west spine and hot, humid alluvial plains along the coast of New Guinea. Irian Jaya's mountains range some 650 kilometers east to west, dividing the province between north and south.

Mount St. Helens Begins to Rumble Again..

2010-10-22T22:54:00.000-07:00

In 1980, Mount St Helens woke up and let the world know she was alive. This volcano had previously been quiet, but after suffering a 5.0 earthquake, she erupted forever leaving that image in our minds.. It seems as if she is awaking again. As she slowly rumbles, like you stomach does before eating... All 3 of these earthquakes near Mount Saint Helens have started soft and are getting stronger. We hope this isn't a repeat of the events from 1980. I imagine that scientists and geologists are paying attention right now.

Check out these 3 quakes, very deep and close together, starting low & getting bigger...

***Friday, October 22, 2010 at 07:06:24 PM at epicenter

Magnitude 1.8

Depth 13 km (8.1 miles)

11 km ( 7 mi) ENE of Mount St. Helens Volcano, WA

***Friday, October 22, 2010 at 07:25:27 PM at epicenter

Magnitude 2.1

Depth11.8 km (7.3 miles)

11 km ( 7 mi) ENE of Mount St. Helens Volcano, WA

***Friday, October 22, 2010 at 09:21:01 PM at epicenter

Magnitude 2.4

Depth12.7 km (7.9 miles)

11 km ( 7 mi) ENE of Mount St. Helens Volcano, WA

_____________________________________________________________

Washington Earthquake History

On December 14, 1872, a strong earthquake in the Cascade Mountains caused damage at Victoria, British Columbia, and Seattle. It was felt over a very large area, about 390,000 square kilometers, extending as far south as Eugene, Oregon, and north into British Columbia, probably even into Alaska.

Walls were cracked (MM VI) at Blaine from a January 11, 1909, earthquake. Also, plaster was thrown down at Bellingham and sidewalks were reported cracked and piers were damaged at Anacortes. The felt area covered approximately 65,000 square km. Another shock occurred in the same region on January 23, 1920. The epicenter was probably under the Strait of Georgia.

Windows were broken and brick walls were cracked (MM VII) at Anacortes and Bellingham; there was some damage to houses on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The crews of several vessels reported feeling the shock.

On July 15, 1936, a magnitude 5 3/4 earthquake was centered near the Washington State line between Walla Walla, Washington, and Milton, Oregon. The shock was strongest at Freewater, State Line, and Umapine, Oregon (MM VII). The ground was badly cracked, and there were marked changes in the flow of well water. One concrete residence collapsed at Umapine; in addition, many walls and chimneys were cracked. At Freewater, practically all the chimneys that had been built during the last 10 years were damaged at the roof level. Concrete pavements were cracked at State Line.

The most damaging effects in Washington were at Waitsburg, where several chimneys fell and plaster cracked. Total damage amounted to about $100,000. The felt area covered about 272,000 square km, including most of Washington, Oregon, and northern Idaho.

Another shock of magnitude 5 3/4 originated near Olympia on November 12, 1939. A few fallen and twisted chimneys (MM VII), cracked concrete and plaster, and broken windows occurred throughout the epicentral area. The most noticeable damage was at Centralia, Elma, Oakville, and Oylmpia. Most of Washington and a portion of Oregon felt the tremor; it was also felt in some parts of British Columbia. The total U.S. area affected was about 155,000 square km.

Minor damage, such as cracked plaster and chimneys (MM VI - VII), was reported from North Bend, Palmer, and Stampede Pass following an earthquake on April 29, 1945. Slight damage occurred in a number of other towns in the area and there were large rock slides on the west face of Mount Si. Many reports described moderately loud to terrific explosion-like sounds accompanying the ground shaking. This earthquake was felt over the greater portion of Washington, a small section of western Idaho, and in the vicinity of Portland, Oregon, approximately 130,000 square km. A strong aftershock caused additional slight damage at North Bend about 10 hours later; another aftershock on May 1 was widely felt.

A shock, which reached a maximum intensity of VII at a number of places in the Puget Sound area was felt over about 182,000 square km, occurred on February 14, 1946. A few deaths were attributed indirectly to the shock; damage was estimated at $250,000, mostly in Seattle. Most of the reported damage was limited to cracked plaster and slight chimney failure, but there were a few cases of spectacular building damage in Seattle. The magnitude 5 3/4 tremor was also felt in southwestern British Columbia and northwestern Oregon.
One of the strongest earthquakes on record for the Puget Sound area followed a few months later. A magnitude 7.3 shock in the Strait of Georgia on June 23, 1946, caused the bottom of Deep Bay to sink between 2.7 and 25.6 meters. These measurements were reported by the Canadian Hydrographic Department.

Also, a 3 meter ground shift occurred on Read Island. One person was drowned when a small boat was overturned by waves created by a nearby landslide. Waves were reported sweeping in from the sea, flooding fields and highways. Heavy damage occurred in the epicentral region. South of the Washington State boundary, some chimneys fell at Eastsound and on Orcas Island and a concrete mill was damaged at Port Angeles. Some damage occurred on upper floors of tall buildings in Seattle. The shock was strongly felt at Bellingham, Olympia, Raymond, and Tacoma. The total affected area in Canada and the United States was about 260,000 square km.

Property damage estimated at upwards of $25 million resulted from a magnitude 7.0 earthquake near Olympia on April 13, 1949. Eight deaths were caused either directly or indirectly, and many were injured. At Olympia, nearly all large buildings were damaged, and water and gas mains were broken. Heavy property damage was caused by falling parapet walls, toppled chimneys, and cracked walls (MM VIII). Electric and telegraphic services were interrupted. Railroad service into Olympia was suspended for several days; railroad bridges south of Tacoma were thrown out of line, delaying traffic for several hours. A large portion of a sandy spit jutting into Puget Sound north of Olympia disappeared during the earthquake. Near Tacoma, a tremendous rockslide involving an 0.8 km section of a 90 meter cliff toppled into Puget Sound. The felt area extended eastward to western Montana and southward to Cape Blanco, Oregon, covering about 400,000 square km in the United States. A large portion of western Canada also experienced the shock.

On November 5, 1962, a moderately strong earthquake caused minor damage in the Vancouver, Washington - Portland, Oregon, area. Numerous chimneys were cracked or shaken down (MM VII) in Portland. Several buildings had tile ceilings fall, and other damage such as cracked plaster and broken windows were reported. Slight damage was reported from several towns in Washington. The tremor was felt over an area of approximately 52,000 square km of Washington and Oregon. The magnitude was measured at 4 3/4.

A magnitude 6.5 shock on April 29, 1965, which was centered very close to the epicenter of the 1949 earthquake, caused about $12.5 million damage. Three persons were killed by falling debris, and the deaths of four elderly women from heart failure were attributed to the earthquake. There were numerous injuries, but most were minor. The shock was characterized by a relatively large intensity VII area and small pockets of intensity VIII damage in Seattle and Issaquah. Extensive damage to chimneys was noted in West Seattle. In 188 city blocks, it was found that 1712 of 5005 chimneys were damaged. Two schools in West Seattle and two brick school buildings in Issaquah were damaged considerably. In general, damage patterns repeated those experienced during the 1949 shock. Buildings that apparently had been damaged in 1949 often sustained additional damage in 1965. The tremor was felt over 340,000 square km of Washington, Oregon, northern Idaho, northwestern Montana, and part of British Columbia.

***Abridged from Earthquake Information Bulletin, Volume 10, Number 1, January - February 1978, by Carl A. von Hake.

Monster 6.9 Quake strikes Mexico

2010-10-21T11:53:00.000-07:00

There have been 8 earthquakes over a 4.7 during the last 48 hours in Mexico. This latest quake happened at 12:50pm CST near the GULF OF CALIFORNIA in Mexico. These quakes seem to be getting more violent and severe as time goes on, only time will tell if this will trigger the "BigOne"...

To learn more information about this quake-
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsus/Quakes/us2010crbl.php

Notable Earthquakes from Mexico-

1887 05 03 - Northern Sonora, Mexico - M 7.4 Fatalities 51
1907 04 15 - Guerrero, Mexico - M 7.7
1911 06 07 - Off Guerrero, Mexico - M 7.7 Fatalities 45
1931 01 15 - Oaxaca, Mexico - M 7.8 Fatalities 114
1932 06 03 - Jalisco, Mexico - M 8.1 Fatalities 45
1932 06 18 - Colima, Mexico - M 7.8
1957 07 28 - Guerrero, Mexico - M 7.9 Fatalities 68
1959 08 26 - Vera Cruz, Mexico - M 6.8 Fatalities 20
1962 05 11 - Guerrero, Mexico - M 7.0 Fatalities 4
1962 05 19 - Guerrero, Mexico - M 7.1 Fatalities 3
1964 07 06 - Guerrero, Mexico - M 6.9 Fatalities 30
1965 08 23 - Oaxaca, Mexico - M 7.3 Fatalities 6
1968 08 02 - Oaxaca, Mexico - M 7.1 Fatalities 18
1979 10 15 - Imperial Valley, Mexico - California Border - M 6.4
1985 09 19 - Michoacan, Mexico - M 8.0 Fatalities 9,500
1999 06 15 - Central Mexico - M 7.0
1999 09 30 - Oaxaca, Mexico - M 7.5
2002 02 22 - near Mexicali, Mexico - M 5.7
2002 12 10 - Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico - M 4.8
2003 01 22 - Offshore Colima, Mexico - M 7.6 Fatalities 29
2003 09 11 - near Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico - M 3.7
2004 06 15 - Offshore Baja California, Mexico - M 5.1
2006 01 04 - Gulf of California - M 6.6
2006 08 11 - Michoacan, Mexico - M 5.9
2008 02 12 - Oaxaca, Mexico - M 6.5
2009 08 03 - Gulf of California - M 6.9
2009 12 30 - Baja California, Mexico - M 5.9
2010 04 04 - Baja California, Mexico - M 7.2 Fatalities 2

Situated atop three of the large tectonic plates that constitute the earth's surface, Mexico is one of the most seismologically active regions on earth. The motion of these plates causes earthquakes and volcanic activity.
Most of the Mexican landmass rests on the westward moving North American plate. The Pacific Ocean floor off southern Mexico, however, is being carried northeast by the underlying motion of the Cocos plate. Ocean floor material is relatively dense; when it strikes the lighter granite of the Mexican landmass, the ocean floor is forced under the landmass, creating the deep Middle American trench that lies off Mexico's southern coast. The westward moving land atop the North American plate is slowed and crumpled where it meets the Cocos plate, creating the mountain ranges of southern Mexico. The subduction of the Cocos plate accounts for the frequency of earthquakes near Mexico's southern coast. As the rocks constituting the ocean floor are forced down, they melt, and the molten material is forced up through weaknesses in the surface rock, creating the volcanoes in the Cordillera Neovolcánica across central Mexico.
Areas off Mexico's coastline on the Gulf of California, including the Baja California Peninsula, are riding northwestward on the Pacific plate. Rather than one plate subducting, the Pacific and North American plates grind past each other, creating a slip fault that is the southern extension of the San Andreas fault in California. Motion along this fault in the past pulled Baja California away from the coast, creating the Gulf of California. Continued motion along this fault is the source of earthquakes in western Mexico.
Mexico has a long history of destructive earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. In September 1985, an earthquake measuring 8.1 on the Richter scale and centered in the subduction zone off Acapulco killed more than 4,000 people in Mexico City, more than 300 kilometers away. Volcán de Colima, south of Guadalajara, erupted in 1994, and El Chichón, in southern Mexico, underwent a violent eruption in 1983. Paricutín in northwest Mexico began as puffs of smoke in a cornfield in 1943; a decade later the volcano was 2,700 meters high. Although dormant for decades, Popocatépetl and Ixtaccíhuatl ("smoking warrior" and "white lady," respectively, in Náhuatl) occasionally send out puffs of smoke clearly visible in Mexico City, a reminder to the capital's inhabitants that volcanic activity is near. Popocatépetl showed renewed activity in 1995 and 1996, forcing the evacuation of several nearby villages and causing concern by seismologists and government officials about the effect that a large-scale eruption might have on the heavily populated region nearby.

CNN Blog talks about Michigan & Oklahoma Quakes

2010-10-19T18:54:00.000-07:00

When I first learned of the Crack in Upper Michigan, I was floored because I didn't have the gas to go see it. The biggest drag was the fact that I am a CNN I-Reporter and this was the biggest geological event in MI that I knew of. I finally made it there on Friday, 4 days after the quake took place. I knew that if I got the best footage possible, there would be a really good chance of getting my video on the air with CNN.

When I got home, edited the videos the way I wanted them, I loaded them onto CNN. I thought they would instantly get the mark to be aired on TV. I was mistaken, CNN needed to verify that this was indeed an earthquake before they would air the videos. So in the mean time, I made this blog page and also put these videos onto Youtube. 4 days after putting them onto CNN I received word that this was confirmed to have been a quake. I quickly added this Blog Address onto my CNN I-Reports, if these were going to catch air time, I wanted to make sure my link to the blog was included.

CNN aired these videos for over a day, giving this blog 10,000 hits. That was a week ago, as of today CNN has come out with their own blog which in reality is advertising this blog all over again. Read the CNN BLOG- http://ireport.cnn.com/blogs/ireport-blog/2010/10/19/there-was-an-earthquake-where

I also have a Face Book Group connected to this Blog that gets updated almost everyday-
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Unexplained-Crack-in-Upper-Michigan/115144381878931

Idaho isn't Immune from Earthquakes..

2010-10-18T19:35:00.000-07:00

Waking up this morning and seeing that Idaho got a 3.2 earthquake 15 miles west of Challis. This kind of surprised me, for some reason I didn't think they had earthquakes. After doing some reading today, I discovered that Idaho is the 5th in ranking for states that have earthquakes.

There were 4 quakes that are noted to be "Historic Quakes"-
* 1944 07 12 - Sheep Mountain, Idaho - M 6.1
* 1975 03 02 - Eastern Idaho - M 6.2
* 1983 10 28 - Borah Peak, Idaho - M 6.9 Fatalities 2
* 2003 09 22 - Rathdrum, Idaho - M 3.3

Seeing these quakes, you have to wonder why these in particular are considered to be "Historic".. I Looks like I need to do some more reading on where in the United States are earthquakes most likely. People need to take alert now and get the essential needs a family must have in the event of another "Historic" earthquake in Idaho.

Below is a History of Earthquakes in Idaho- Abridged from Earthquake Information Bulletin, Volume 4, Number 2, March - April 1972.

Idaho Earthquake History

The first earthquake causing damage in Idaho's earthquake history occurred on November 9, 1884, apparently centering in northern Utah. Six shocks were reported felt at Paris, Idaho, causing considerable damage to houses. People suffered from nausea.

A shock on November 11, 1905, was felt in the southern half of Idaho and parts of Utah and Oregon. At Shoshone, Idaho, walls cracked and plaster fell.

On May 12, 1916, Boise was hit by a shock which wrecked chimneys and caused people to rush into the streets. Reclamation ditches were damaged and the flow of natural gas altered. It was felt at Loon Creek, 120 miles northeast, and in eastern Oregon - an area of 50,000 square miles.

An intensity VII earthquake occurred within the State on July 12, 1944. The Seafoam Ranger Station building shook so hard the occupants thought it was coming apart. Several people reported that the shaking was so violent they were unable to walk. Another observer reported that rocks rose at least a foot in the air and looked like a series of explosions up the hill. Part of the canyon wall collapsed near Lime Creek. Cracks opened 100 yards long in Duffield Canyon and cracks one to three inches across and several hundred yards long opened on the road below Seafoam. Two chimneys fell at Cascade. This shock was felt over 70,000 square miles, including all of central Idaho, and parts of Washington, Oregon, and Montana.

The magnitude 7.1 earthquake at Hebgen Lake, Montana, on August 17, 1959, which killed 28 people, formed "Quake Lake," and did $11 million damage to roads and timber, also caused some damage in Idaho. Intensity VII was experienced in the Henry's Lake, Big Springs, and Island Park areas. Big Springs increased its flow 15 percent and became rusty red colored. A man was knocked down at Edward's Lodge. There was considerable damage to building in the Henry's Lake area. Trees swayed violently, breaking some roots, and cars jumped up and down. Chimneys fell and a 7-foot-thick rock-and-concrete dock cracked.

In the Island Park area chimneys were toppled and wells remained muddy for weeks. At Mack's Inn, a small girl was thrown from bed and hysteria occurred among some guests. Dishes were broken.

An intensity VII earthquake occurred on August 30, 1962, in the Cache Valley area of Utah. Two large areas of land totaling four acres, five feet thick, slid 300 yards downhill at Fairview, Idaho, opening new springs. Plaster walls, and chimneys were cracked and a chimney fell at Franklin. Falling brick at the Franklin School cracked through the roof and plaster was cracked in every room. Additional damage occurred at Preston. This magnitude 5.7 earthquake was felt over an area of 65,000 square miles in five states and cause approximately $1 million in damage.

An intensity VI shock, on November 1, 1942, centered near Sandpoint and affected 25,000 square miles of Washington, Montana, and Idaho. The Northern Pacific Railroad partially suspended operations to inspect the right of way for boulders and slides. Church services were interrupted, but only minor damage was reported by homes.

A February 13, 1945, shock near Clayton, felt over a 60,000 square mile area, broke some dishes at Idaho City and cracked plaster at Weisner.

A locally sharp shock was felt at Wallace on December 18, 1957, damaging the Galena Silver Mine and frightening miners working 3,400 feet underground.

Soda Springs was shaken by a shock on August 7, 1960, which cracked plaster and a concrete foundation. It was only felt over a 900 square mile area.

Two intensity VI shocks were reported in 1963. The first on January 27, was felt over 6,000 square miles and centered near Clayton, where plaster and windows were cracked. Large boulders rolled down the hill near Camp Livingston and aftershocks were felt for a week. The second occurred on September 10 and was a magnitude 4.1 shock. It caused minor damage at Redfish Lake. Thunderous earth noises were heard.

A magnitude 4.9 shock on April 26, 1969, cracked a foundation at Ketchum, plaster at Livingston Mills, and a cement floor at Warm Springs. It was felt over 9,000 square miles.

3.5 - Guy, Arkansas - Non-Stop Earthquakes 2010

2010-10-16T07:48:00.000-07:00

Guy, Arkansas seems to be the center of attention for this recent outbreak of earthquakes. Residents in this area say they have never experienced this many quakes over this short amount of time. This latest 3.5 quake happened at 4:49am CST 2 miles south of Guy, Arkansas or 31 miles north of Little Rock.

There 24 reports from 12 zip codes that reported feeling it, though most of the people who did report this earthquake were from Arkansas, there was one report from St Louis, MO of someone who reported they felt it too. I believe this person may have felt something else and just associated it with this event. The 23 other reports were from 139 km or less...

Guy, Arkansas has had OVER 70 Earthquakes since Oct. 1st, 2010 - The most severe of these was a 4.0 on Oct 11th.. But here have been 6 other quakes over 3.0 since Oct 1st. Two 3.0 came first and they are noticeably getting stronger as time goes on, only time will tell how severe these will be before they start to hopefully stop. We can only hope these aren't leading us into the next big one. This isn't California, people aren't used the ground shaking like it does out west..

**** EARLY EARTHQUAKE HISTORY IN ARKANSAS ****

The northeast section of Arkansas is located in the New Madrid seismic zone and was seriously affected by great shocks that occurred in that zone, in 1811 - 1812. Arkansas' 40-mile-long, half-mile-wide Lake Saint Francis was formed by these earthquakes.

The Mississippi embayment - fall line area, in which the New Madrid seismic zone is located, extends from Cairo, Illinois, south through northeastern Arkansas, western Kentucky, and Tennessee, then westward to include the lowland area of southern Arkansas, the eastern Oklahoma - Texas border area, and northeastern Texas. Major historic seismic activity has been limited to a line extending west of the Mississippi River, from Cairo to west of Memphis. Several damaging earthquakes have occurred along this line, in addition to the New Madrid shocks mentioned earlier. Indian tradition and geologic evidence indicate an earlier history of severe earthquakes in the same area.

Outside the Mississippi Embayment, the first shock listed for Arkansas occurred in October 1882. Since few reports were received from the region most affected, the epicenter of this shock is not well known, and several investigators have placed the origin near El Reno, Oklahoma, instead of western Arkansas. The shock threw bricks from chimneys at Sherman, Texas, and shook houses strongly at Fort Smith, Arkansas. Its felt area covered parts or all of Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, and Missouri, about 135,000 square miles.

An earthquake occurred near Melbourne, about 95 miles northeast of Little Rock, in December 1883. Rockslides occurred on a railroad cut, and thunderous earth noises were heard. Glassware and crockery broke, and buildings shook at Melbourne.

A shock on March 31, 1911, about 40 miles south of Little Rock, was so severe at Pine Bluff that hundreds of excited residents crowded into the streets in panic; windows were broken in several sections of the city. At one school, walls cracked, and plaster fell on pupils. "Glasses were shaken from counters in confectionery stores, and dishes were broken in many kitchens," the record notes. The shock was felt throughout southeastern Arkansas and in adjacent States.

During the period 1911 to 1933, two local intensity V earthquakes centered in the Black Rock - Pocahontas area of northeastern Arkansas; two additional intensity V tremors were noted, one near Little Rock, the other near Marked Tree, and both were felt over 30,000 square mile areas. None of these caused property damage, but they alarmed much of the populations near their centers.

The early morning of December 9, 1933, brought another minor tremor to Arkansas. Many residents of Manila, Mississippi County, were awakened by a sharp earthquake that broke windows in several homes.

Very light tremors in 1937 and 1938 in the northeastern part of Arkansas were felt over 25,000 and 90,000 square miles of Arkansas and several surrounding States. Neither was damaging. This region is noted for relatively light-intensity shocks being felt over extremely large areas.

One of the few earthquakes to center in southwestern Arkansas occurred in June 1939. It cracked plaster in buildings at Arkadelphia, and was felt throughout the southern portion of Arkansas.

After the 1939 earthquake, only light tremors (all under intensity V) were noted until January 25, 1955. The 1955 tremor centered in northeastern Arkansas near the Missouri - Tennessee border, and caused some property damage in the bordering States. At Dyersburg, Tennessee, a brick pillar supporting a porch was thrown down; at Finley, plaster, walls, and ceilings cracked. Windows cracked in the small town of Hayti, Missouri. Thousands of residents over a 30,000 square mile area were awakened by this early morning event.

Arkansas was again relatively quiescent seismically for 14 years, until New Year's Day of 1969. During this period, however, three shocks in northeastern Texas and southern Missouri caused some damage in Arkansas. The strongest of the three centered in southeastern Missouri in March 1963. It cracked windows, plaster, concrete, and walls in several Arkansas towns.

On January 1, 1969, a tremor centered about 19 miles northwest of Little Rock and caused much commotion in the area. In Little Rock, plaster cracked, and furniture was moved about in some homes; and trees and utility wires swayed and shook throughout a wide area. The shock was also noted by residents in southern Missouri and western Tennessee.

CREDITS-
Abridged by Madeleine Zirbes, United States Geological Survey, National Earthquake Information Center, from Earthquake Information Bulletin, Volume 2, Number 4, July-August 1970.

2nd Largest Earthquake Strikes Arkansas this morning!!

2010-10-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

Guy, Arkansas was the site of this mornings 4.4 Earthquake which occurred at 5:20am local time, reports are saying there was no damage or injuries. If this number stays where it is, this will be the 2nd largest earthquake in this area ever since recording begun in 1974. Some geologists are looking into the possibility that some of these may be contributed to Gas Drilling in Arkansas, saltwater disposal wells in particular because seismic activity has been linked to such wells. This part of central Arkansas isn't even part of the New Madrid Fault Zone, so researchers are trying to figure out what's causing all those earthquakes. Residents along the New Madrid Fault line should be on full alert as well because these quakes could trigger an event along the New Madrid Fault like no one alive has ever seen. After this months record earthquakes, over 200 earthquakes in Arkansas in the last 30 days people are wondering when or if it will ever end.

These quakes in the area closely resemble activity in Enola from 1982, when the quakes started small at the beginning of the cycle, then registering a 4.5 a couple weeks later and continued with more than 1,000 aftershocks. In 2001 it began again with a 4.4-magnitude quake and followed by 2,500 smaller aftershocks. Over 40 quakes have been felt in this area in the last week, with close to 200 quakes in the last few weeks. If history follows itself, this area will be in for more earthquakes for the next few weeks.

An Monday there were 5 earthquakes large enough to be felt by people all over the northern part of the state that were all located near Guy, Arkansas. The largest of the quakes was a 4.0 magnitude quake that struck about 8:33 a.m. 10 minutes later a magnitude 2.5, 2 1/2 hours later a 3.6 magnitude quake struck. 5 minutes later a magnitude 2.3 quake and another hour after that a magnitude 1.6 quake at 12:23 p.m.
So this mornings earthquake was a little strong than Monday's first quake.

Have you ever heard the stories about the New Madrid Earthquakes of December 16, 1811 and January 23, 1812 that caused the Mississippi River to flow backwards for 3 days? A 8.0 Earth Quake in northeastern Arkansas started out that day in December, it shook windows and furniture in Washington, DC, caused bells to ring in Richmond, Virginia and shook homes and buildings in South Carolina. The ground trembled and shook the rest of the day until the same are got another 8.0 quake. A quake that size would drop California off into the ocean, or at least that is what people fear the most. Everything was quiet for over a month until Jan. 23rd, 1812 when the area around the "Boot Heel" on Missouri received a 7.0 and 7.8 magnitude earthquake. Two weeks later this same area would get an 8.0 which turned out to be the largest one, for years later they got after shocks connected to these large ones. In 1895 this area had a 6.6 earthquake which was one of the last "Big" ones recorded. In 1974 monitors were installed all over this area that started recording quakes, over 4,000 have been recorded since their installment.

It has been over 200 years since this area got anything as large as these 7-8.0 earthquakes and only time will increase the chances for another "Big" Earthquake that could LEVEL what we have today. How PREPARED are you? Do you have supplies that will sustain your family until help arrives? This disaster will make Katrina look like a little girl.. With all the solar & wind power kits available on the market, we all should get ourselves ready. Imagine the power going out for months? How can you keep those cold products just that? The sun will always be there to fill our needs, the power it produces can keep a family alive when times get tough. Add a wind tower to that and you can be set until thing get better and power gets restored. A earthquake of 7.5 could cut people off from the world for months.. Bridges would fall and utilities would be disrupted. Will you be ready?

Second Largest Earthquake in Oklahoma 5.1

2010-10-13T20:45:00.000-07:00

The earthquake struck at 9:06 a.m. about six miles east of Norman in Cleveland County, sharply shaking portions of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. The U.S. Geological Survey estimated the magnitude to be 4.3, but research seismologist Austin Holland said the Oklahoma Geological Survey measured it at 5.1. The higher figure would make Wednesday's temblor the second-strongest here since records began.

The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management said it had received reports of minor damage, primarily to windows and due to items falling from shelves.

"We had a couple things fall off the wall here at the police department. We all ran outside to see if something hit the station or something like that," Norman police Capt. Leonard Judy said. Only minor damage had been reported through the city, mainly porches cracking or items falling off shelves.

The shaking rattled buildings at the University of Oklahoma in central Norman, sending students, faculty and staff members outside. President David Boren said in a statement that survey teams were dispatched around campus but no structural damage had been found and no injuries were reported.

HISTORY OF EARTHQUAKES IN OKLAHOMA-
The first earthquake known to have centered in the State occurred in September 1918. A series of shocks at El Reno produced only minor effects; the strongest was intensity V on September 10. Objects were thrown from shelves. Other shocks occurred on the next day. On December 27, 1929, another tremor centered in the same area was felt in portions of central and western Oklahoma. Some plaster cracked and at least one chimney fell (intensity VI) at El Reno. In addition, clocks stopped, objects moved, and some reports indicated the walls and floors seemed to sway. In several cities, people rushed from their homes in alarm. The total felt area included about 20,000 square kilometers.

The magnitude 5.5 April 9, 1952, earthquake centered near El Reno affected most of Oklahoma and parts of Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Texas. Damage from the 10:30 a.m. CST earthquake was not extensive, but many people in the epicentral area were alarmed, some to near panic. Portions of chimneys fell in El Reno and Ponca City (intensity VII). Bricks loosened from a building wall and tile facing of commercial buildings bulged at Oklahoma City. Also, plate glass windows were shattered in the business district of El Reno. The total damage amounted to several thousand dollars. Aftershocks were felt on April 11, 15, and 16, July 16, and August 14; an earthquake that was felt (IV) at Holdenville and Wewoka on October 7 apparently was unrelated to the April 9th event. Homes and buildings shook and some persons were awakened (V) at El Reno from the April 16th shock, which occurred 5 minutes after midnight. Felt reports were also received from Kingfisher, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and Union City.

Minor damage to a building foundation and plaster (VI) at Concho resulted from two March 17, 1953, earthquakes about an hour apart. The felt area included Calumet, Edmond, El Reno, Minco, Okarche, Peidmont, and Union City.

On February 16, 1956, a shock at Edmont broke windows and cracked plaster (VI). It was also felt strongly at Guthrie, Oklahoma City, and Pawnee. Southeastern Oklahoma was disturbed by an earthquake on April 2, 1956, that produced thundering, rattling, and bumping noises that were heard by many citizens. Buildings shook and objects fell at Antlers, and many persons were alarmed (V). Minor effects were reported from other nearby towns. On October 30, 1956, an area of about 9,500 square kilometers in northeastern Oklahoma was shaken. The maximum intensity of VII was reported west of Catoosa, where a slippage of the formation caused an oil well to be shut down. Minor damage occurred at Beggs and Tulsa; and isolated felt report was received from Electra, Texas.

A broad area (approximately 31,000 square kilometers) of southwestern Oklahoma and the adjacent portion of Texas was affected by an early morning shock on June 17, 1959. Slight damage, consisting of cracks in plaster, pavement, and a house foundation (VI), occurred at Cache, Duncan, and Lawton. Houses were shaken, buildings swayed, and many persons were alarmed. A smaller earthquake on June 15 was felt by many at Ada and nearby places. Dishes were reported broken (V) and a trembling motion was observed.

On January 10, 1961, a mild shock was felt in Latimer and Pittsburgh Counties in southeastern Oklahoma. Thunderous earth sounds were heard in many places (V); no damage was reported. Another earthquake on April 27, 1961, awakened many (V) at Antlers, Coalgate, Hartshorne, Leflore, McCurtain, Panola, Poteau, Talihina, and Wilburton. Once again, thunderous, deep rumbling earth sounds were heard throughout the area.

An October 14, 1968, earthquake caused minor damage at Durant. Walls cracked, and glass in two structures broke (VI). The press reported that a 5 foot tall advertising stand fell over, and canned goods fell from a rack in a supermarket. Slight foreshocks were felt at Durant on October 10 and 11. Intensity IV effects from the October 14 shock were also noted at Caddo.

A magnitude 4.6 earthquake caused some cracked plaster (V) at Wewoka on May 2, 1969. Intensity V effects were reported at several other towns in the region. The total felt area included approximately 33,700 square kilometers in eastern Oklahoma.

Earthquakes & Natural Disasters 2011

Are the Clintonville, WI "Booms" Related to this event?

BREAKING: Fourth Explosion at Japan Nuclear Power Plant!!!

Big Nuclear Expolsion (w Mushroom Cloud) at Fukushima Nuclear Plant

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Historic Earthquakes

Between Massena, New York and Cornwall, Ontario, Canada Magnitude 5.80 Intensity VIII

Largest Earthquake in New York

CRACK IN UPPER MICHIGAN GETS BIGGER..

Massive 6.6 Strikes Japan Region!!

Magnitude 6.6 BONIN ISLANDS, JAPAN REGION

At 9:24pm a strong Magnitude 6.6 struck an island 500 miles south of Tokyo, Japan.

http://www.latimes.com/news/la-fgw-japan-earthquake-20101130,0,7830941.story

The following is from the West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center:

For complete details go to: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/usc0000h7t.php#details

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California Earthquake History

Most Historic California Earthquake

Fort Tejon, California 1857 01 09 16:24 UTC Magnitude 7.9

Largest Earthquake in California

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Tennessee Earthquake History

Tennessee

Earthquake History

ILLINOIS EARTHQUAKES- Is it almost time for a Big One?

Largest Earthquake in Illinois

Southern Illinois 1968 11 09 17:01:40.5 UTC Magnitude 5.4 Intensity VII

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Wyoming Earthquakes like no other...

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Washington Earthquake History

Monster 6.9 Quake strikes Mexico

CNN Blog talks about Michigan & Oklahoma Quakes

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3.5 - Guy, Arkansas - Non-Stop Earthquakes 2010

2nd Largest Earthquake Strikes Arkansas this morning!!

Second Largest Earthquake in Oklahoma 5.1

Between Massena, New York and Cornwall, Ontario, Canada
Magnitude 5.80
Intensity VIII

Fort Tejon, California
1857 01 09 16:24 UTC
Magnitude 7.9

Southern Illinois
1968 11 09 17:01:40.5 UTC
Magnitude 5.4
Intensity VII