Earthquakes in the United States January-March 1980
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GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRCULAR 853-A Earthquakes in the United States January-March 1980 Earthquakes in the United States January-March 1980 By C. W. Stover, J. H. Minsch, B. G. Reagor, and P. K. Smith GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRCULAR 853-A 1981 United States Department of the Interior JAMES G. WATT, Secretary Geological Survey Doyle G. Frederick, Acting Director Free on application to the Branch of Distribution, U.S. Geological Survey, 604 South Pickett Street, Alexandria, VA 22304 CONTENTS Page Introduction................................................................. A1 Discussion of tables......................................................... 1 Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale of 1931.................................... 8 Acknowledgments.............................................................. 41 References cited............................................................. 41 ILLUSTRATIONS Page FIGURE 1. "Earthquake Report" form.......................................... A2 2. Map showing standard time zones of the conterminous United States. 4 3. Map showing standard time zones of Alaska and Hawaii.............. 5 4. Map of earthquake epicenters in the conterminous United States for January-March 1980............ •• • • • • • • • • • • • •• •• • • • • •• • • •• • •• • • • •• • 6 5. Map of earthquake epicenters in Alaska for January-March 1980..... 7 6. Map of earthquake epicenters in Hawaii for January-March 1980..... 8 7. Isoseismal map for the central California earthquake of 24 January 1980...................... •• • • • • • •• • •• • • • • •• • • • • • • • • • • •• • •• • • • • • • • 19 8. Photograph of damage to fermenting tanks at the Wente Brothers Winery near Livermore, Calif...................................... 22 9. Photograph of damage to one support of the elevated water tank at the Wente Brothers Winery near Livermore, Calif ••••••••••••••••••• 23 10. Photograph of damage to a mobile home in the Sunrise Mobile Home Park in Spring town, Cal if • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 26 11. Isoseismal map for the southern California earthquake of 25 February 1980.................................................. 34 12. Isoseismal map for the southeastern Pennsylvania earthquake of 5 March 1980...................................................... 40 13. Isoseismal map for the southeastern Pennsylvania earthquake of 11 March 1980 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 40 iii TABLES Page TABLE 1. Summary of U.S. earthquakes for January-March 1980: Alaska. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • A1 0 California.................................................... 11 California--Off the coast..................................... 13 Hawaii........................................................ 13 Idaho. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 14 Illinois •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 14 Kentucky...................................................... 14 Maine........... • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 14 Montana. • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 14 Nevada........................................................ 14 New Mexico. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 14 New York...................................................... 14 Oregon--Off the coast......................................... 15 Pennsylvania.................................................. 15 Texas......... • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 15 Utah.......................................................... 15 Washington.................................................... 15 Wyoming • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 16 Page 2. Summary of macroseismic data for U.S. earthquakes, January-March 1980: Alaska. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • A16 California •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 17 California--off the coast ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 36 Connecticut................................................... 36 Hawaii. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 36 Idaho.. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 38 Illinois ••••••••••••••••••••••••.••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 38 Kentucky...................................................... 38 Maine. • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 38 Montana. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 38 Nevada.. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 39 New Jersey •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 39 New Mexico.................................................... 39 New York ••••••••••••.••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 39 Pennsylvania. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 39 Wyoming. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 40 iv Earthquakes in the United States, January-March 1980 By C. W. Stover, J. H. Minsch, B. G. Reagor, and P. K. Smith INTRODUCTION from other Government agencies, State institu tions, local organizations, and individuals. The earthquake information in this publica (See "Acknowledgments'·' for a list of collabora tion supplements that published in the NElS tors.) Figure 1 is the questionnaire in use by (National Earthquake Information Service) publi the NElS. Other types of questionnaires are used cations, PDE ("Preliminary Determination of Epi by State agencies, engineering firms, and other centers") and "Preliminary Determination of Epi Government agencies to collect intensity data. centers Monthly Listing," by providing detailed Anyone wishing to submit felt or damage informa felt and intensity data for U.S. earthquakes. tion on earthquakes for inclusion in future The purpose of this circular is to provide a reports sh6uld send it to the National Earth complete listing of macro-seismic effects of quake Information Service, Stop 967, Box 25046, earthquakes, which can be used in risk studies, Denver Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225. Copies nuclear power plant site evaluations, seismicity of the current "Earthquake Report" questionnaire studies, and to answer inquiries by the public. can be obtained at this address. This publication contains two major sec The NElS uses the postal questionnaire as tions. The first part (table 1), which is the primary source of macroseismic data to carry mainly concerned with data obtained by seismo out an intensity survey; however, on-site field graphs, is a tabular listing of earthquakes in investigations are made following earthquakes chronological order by State, consisting of the that do significant damage. The "Earthquake following basic information: date, origin time, Report" forms are mailed to postmasters within hypocenter, magnitude, maximum intensity, and the area affected by the earthquake. The com computational source of the hypocenter. The pleted forms are returned to the NElS, where second section, which concerns intensity infor they are evaluated and intensity values are mation, consists of four maps, two photographs, assigned to individual locations. In the case and table 2. This section also contains informa of large or significant earthquakes, the inten tion on events that were felt but were not sity observations are plotted and isoseismal listed in the PDE because there was not enough maps are prepared. It should be pointed out instrumental data to obtain a solution. The that the isoseismals represent a general inten list of earthquakes in table 1 was compiled from sity level and that they do not necessarily those located in the United States or nearby agree with every individual observation. offshore areas that were published in the PDE; from aftershock studies carried out by the U.S. Geological Survey and other organizations; from DISCUSSION OF TABLES hypocenters in California above magnitude 3.0 supplied by the California Institute of Technol The parameters for the earthquakes in table ogy, Pasadena, the University of California, and table 2 include the date, origin time, Berkeley, and other offices of the u.s~ Geologi hypocenter (epicenter and focal depth), magni cal Survey; from hypocenters in Hawaii supplied tude, intensity, and source of the computed by the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory; and from solution. The origin time and date are listed other institutions as listed in the acknowledg in Universal Coordinated Time (UTC) and local ments. Known or suspected explosions are also standard time based on the time-zone maps in listed in table 1 and table 2. figures 2 and 3. The epicenters, which were taken from those published in the PDE, or from The intensities and macroseismic data were other sources as noted, are listed here to two compiled from information obtained