United States Earthquakes, 1952
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY United States Earthquakes, 1952 By Leonard M. Murphy and William K. Cloud Open-File report 84-952 Prepared in cooperation with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, This report has not been reviewed for conformity with U.S. Geological Survey editorial standards. 1984 CONTENTS Page Introduction ___-_-_______--__---____________-______-_____-____________-__-___-----_ 1 Earthquake information services._________________________________________________ 1 Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale of 1931-_-.-----_--__-.-__________-_-_---------_ 2 Epicenter maps._______--_______-_---_-.____-__--____--___--_-____--_-----__.-_-- 2 Teleseismic results____-_-_--_-__-__--_-_-___-_-___________________-_----------_- 3 Magnitude-intensity correlation-_-____-___-_-___-_____.._____________-_-_-__--_---- 3 Strong-motion seismograph results__ __-_-___-_-_-__--_______-_______-_-_---------- 3 Earthquake history , r . __-._---___-________-______________________________________ 3 Noninstrumental results.__---_______-_____---._-____-_________________-_-_--_.---.-- 5 Earthquake activity in the various States-_________________________________________ 5 Earthquake activity outside the United States.----_-______________________--------_ 5 Northeastern region___-----__-_____-__-_-?____-_-___-_-__-__---___---__--------- 5 Eastern region___________________________________________________________________ 7 Central region._________________________________________________________________ 7 Western mountain region._.__-__________________-_____-__________.__-_-_-_-----_ 9 California and western Nevada...-__-__._-_-___-_____-____._-______-_-_---------- 14 Washington and Oregon_________________________________________________________ 46 Alaska__ _____________________________________________________________________ 47 Hawaiian Islands_____________________-_-_______--____-_-..________-___-_-_------ 48 Panama Canal Zone_-_---_--___--_-------------,--------_---_-----_-_-_-----_---- 49 Puerto Rico.___________-____---__-_---_-__--_-__..-____--_-_-__-__-_-__--_------ 50 Miscellaneous activities.______________________________________________________________ 50 Greodetic work of seismological interest.-- _________________________________________ 50 Tidal disturbances of seismic origin______________________-_-_-_________________.-_- 50 Fluctuations in weU-water.levels-_--__-__--_-_-_--_-----_--_-------_-----_------------ 51 Introduction.. _________________________________________________________________ 51 Well descriptions________-__-_--_---_-__________-_----__--_-_-__-__-__-_--_---- 51 Table 1. "Fluctuations in well-water levels, January 1 through December 31, 1952-.____. 57 Seismological observatory results.__---_---------____--__-_-_---___-----__---_----_---- 66 Table 2. Summary of instrumental epicenters for 1950._--_--_----------_---------- 67 Table 3. Principal earthquakes of the world from January through December 1952_____ 75 Strong-motion seismograph results__._-_--____-__-____--__________-___________---_--__ 76 Introduction __________-___-_----____-______---_-_-________-__-__-__-____-_-__-- 76 Table 4. U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey strong-motion stations in operation as of December 31, 1952.______________________________________________ 77 Table 5. List of shocks recorded and records obtained on strong-motion seismographs in 1952.-. _________________________-______________---_- 78 Table 6. Summary of outstanding instrumental and noninstrumental data for 1952_____ 80 Table 7. Composite of strong-motion instrumental data for 1952-_____-________..--___ 81 Tilt observations.___________________________________________________________________ 112 Publication notices.._-______---_____-_-_____-_____________--___--____-_____-_-----_- 112 DESTRUCTIVE AND NEAR DESTRUCTIVE EARTHQUAKES ^ OP THE UNITED STATES THROUGH 1952 COMPILED BY U. S. COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE FIGURE 1. Destructive and near destructive earthquakes in the United States through 1952. ILLUSTRATIONS Page Figure 1. Destructive and near destructive earthquakes in the United States through 1952. vi Figure 2. United States earthquake epicenters, 1952. ...__-__.____-___--_-__-----_---- 4 Figure 3. Area affected by the earthquake of April 9_ _.____._._.___.._..___.-_____-___ 6 Figure 4. Area affected by the earthquake of March 31-____--__--__-_-----_.---------- 10 Figure 5. Area affected by the earthquake of July 21 __--------__--__-----_------------ 16 Figure 6. Area affected by the earthquake of August 22._-__-____-_____-__----____---- 38 Figure 7. Area affected by the earthquake of August 23__--__------_-----_------------ 40 Figure 8. Area affected by the earthquake of November 21.__.____._____._____-___--_- 44 Figure 9. Tracings of accelerograph records obtained at Boulder City, Nev., Hoover Dam 1215 Galley and Intake Tower on May 23__-------_-----_---------_-_---_ 83 Figure 10. Tracings of accelerograph records obtained at Santiago, Chile, on April 29; at Boulder City, Nev., Hoover Dam Oil House on May 23; at Lima, Peru, on July 19; at Westwood on July 21----_------_-----_--_-_-------------.-_- 84 Figure 11. Tracings of displacement meter record obtained at Colton on July 21____._.___- 85 Figure 12. Tracings of accelerograph records obtained at Colton and Bishop on July 21___. 86 Figure 13. Tracings of accelerograph records obtained at Bishop and Hollywood Storage Building, penthouse on July 21 __________________________________________ 87 Figure 14. Tracings of accelerograph records obtained at Hollywood Storage Building, base ment, and P. E. Lot on July 21_____________________________-_------_ 89 Figure 15. Tracings of accelerograph records obtained at Hollywood Storage Building, P. E. Lot, and Los Angeles Occidental Life Building, basement and llth floor, on July 21_______________________________________________________________ 90 Figure 16. Tracings of displacement meter record obtained at Hollister on July 21 ________ 91 Figure 17. Tracings of displacement meter record obtained at Hollister on July 21_-__-_--- 92 Figure 18. Tracings of accelerograph records obtained at Long Beach and Los Angeles Sub way Terminal basement and 13th floor on July 21...._.___.___.______._--- 93 Figure 19. Tracings of displacement meter record obtained at Los Angeles Subway Terminal basement on July 21. __________________________________________________ 94 Figure 20. Tracings of displacement meter record obtained at Los Angeles Subway Terminal basement and accelerograph record at San Luis Obispo on July 21. __________ 97 Figure 21. Tracings of displacement meter record obtained at Pasadena on July 21-------- 98 Figure 22. Tracings of accelerograph records obtained at Pasadena and San Diego on July 21- 99 Figure 23. Tracings of accelerograph records obtained at Taft on July 21__--_-__--__-_--- 100 Figure 24. Tracings of accelerograph records obtained at Taft and Santa Barbara on July 21. 101 Figure 25. Tracings of accelerograph records obtained at Santa Barbara and Vernon on July 21.__._____.._..___..._..____.._..___._..____.__.._._.._____.____ 102 Figure 26. Tracings of accelerograph records obtained at Tehachapi on July 22 and 23.--- 103 Figure 27. Tracings of accelerograph records obtained at Guatemala City, Guatemala, and Tehachapi on July 22 and at Taft on July 22 and 28___-------__-------_-_- 104 Figure 28. Tracings of accelerograph records obtained at Tehachapi on July 23-31--------- 105 Figure 29. Tracings of accelerograph records obtained at Lima, Peru, on August 3; at Wheeler Ridge on August 7; at Arvin on August 22________________________ 106 Figure 30. Tracings of displacement meter record obtained at Arvin on August 22, and accelerograph records at Wheeler Ridge on August 26 and at Tehachapi on August 29_-_____--_-----________________ _-_____--____._--____--___--- 109 Figure 31. Tracings of accelerograph and displacement meter records at Ferndale on Sep tember 22 and accelerograph record at San Luis Obispo on November 21___- 110 Figure 32. Tracings of accelerograph records obtained at Taft on November 21 and at San Jose, Costa Rica, on December 30-__-_-___-________--__.________-____--- Ill V UNITED STATES EARTHQUAKES, 1952 INTRODUCTION This publication is a summary of earthquake activity in the United States and regions under its jurisdiction for the calendar year 1952. The sources of noninstru- mental information used hi the compilation include the United States Weather Bureau, whose observers prepare periodic reports on local seismic activity; telegraphic infor mation collected by Science Service, Washington, D. C.; Bulletins of the Seismological Society of America; special reports of the Jesuit Seismological Assocation and the Northeastern Seismological Association; the Hawaiian Volcano Letter-, newspaper clip pings; and reports from interested individuals. Instrumental data used in locating earthquakes are obtained from the network of Coast and Geodetic Survey 'stations listed on page 66 and from other cooperating Seismological stations in the United States and throughout the world. The Coast and Geodetic Survey endeavors to coordinate efforts in collecting all types of earthquake information with the special object of correlating instrumental earthquake locations with noninstrumental reports received from the epicentral areas. This is done by local organizations making intensive regional investigations in Cali fornia and elsewhere, and, when necessary, by the Coast and Geodetic Survey. This information serves to adequately