North Carolina Geological Survey Division of Land Resources Geologic Hazard Map Series 2
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DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES NORTH CAROLINA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCES GEOLOGIC HAZARD MAP SERIES 2 Map of Earthquake Epicenters in North Carolina and Portions of Adjacent States (1698-2006) !( !( !( !( !(!( !( By Randy Bechtel, Michael A. Medina, John G. Nickerson, Kenneth B. Taylor, Jeffrey C. Reid, Richard M. Wooten, Kathryn !(Snider and Timothy W. (Tyler) Clark !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( Introduction: !(!( !( !( 86°W 85°W 84°W 83°W 82°W 81°W 80°W 79°W 78°W 77°W 76°W !( 75°W !( !( !( !( !( !( !( _ Charleston Earthquakes are a common occurrence, and literally thousands of earthquakes are !( Frankfort !( !( !( !(!(!( !( !( !(!( !(!(!(!(!(!( !( !( !( !( !( MARYLAND _ !(!( !( !( !( !( recorded each year around the world. We do not hear about most of them because (! !( !( !( !( 38°N 38°N !( !( !(!( !( !( !( !(!( !( !(!( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( they are very small or occur in isolated areas where few people live. !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !(!( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !(!( WEST VIRGINIA !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !(!( North Carolina has experienced the effects of earthquakes throughout its history. !(!( !( !( !( !( !(!( !( !( !( !(!( !(!( !( !( !( !(!(!( !( !(!( !( !(!( The large map shows earthquakes that have been recorded in and around our state !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !(!( !(!(!(!( !(!( !(!( !(!( !( !( !( !(!( !(!(!( (!!( !( !( !( (! !(!( !( !( !( !( !( !(!(!( !(!( !( !(!( !(!( between 1698 and October 2006. Before seismic instruments were installed in the region !( !(!(!( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( _!( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !(!( !( Richmond in the 1920s, earthquake history could only be compiled through historical accounts. !(!( !( !( !( !( !(!(!( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !(!( !( After 1962, technology improved so that seismograph networks could locate minor !( !( !(!( !( !(!(!( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !(!( !(!(!(!(!( !(!( !( !( KENTUCKY !( !(!(!(!( !( !( !(!( !( !( !( earthquakes (less than a magnitude 4). By the 1970s, micro earthquakes (less than a !( !((!!( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !(!( !( !( !( !( !( 37°N magnitude 3) could be detected. 37°N !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !(! !(!( !( !((!( !( !( !( !( VIRGINIA !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !(!(!( !( !( !( Circles on the map represent earthquake epicenters; bigger circles represent larger !( !(!(!( !( !( !(!( !( !( !( !( !( !(!( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( earthquakes. The effects of an earthquake cover a much larger area than the location !( !( !( !(!(!(!(!( ATLANTIC !( !( !( !( !( !(!( !(!( !( !(!( !( !( !( of the dot or epicenter (see the isoseismal maps at the lower right of the poster). Most of !( !( !( !( !( !( OCEAN !(!(!( !( !( !( !( !( !( !(!(!( !(!( !(!( !( !( the earthquakes in North Carolina are relatively small (most are in the micro earthquake !( !( !( !( (! !( !( !(!( !( !( !( !( !( !( !(!( !( !(!( 1980 1927 !( !(!( !( !( !(!(!( !( !( !( 1984 !( range). Large damaging earthquakes rarely affect our state. !( !(!( !(!( !( !( !( !( !( !(!( !( !( 1896 TENNESSEE !( !(!( !( !( !(!( !(!(!(!(!( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !(!( !(!(!( !( !( !( !( !( !( !(!( !(!(!( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( 1885 !( !( !( !( 1978 !( !( !(!( !( !( !( 1861 As you can see on the large map, there are several areas where there are clusters of !(!( !(!(!(!(!(!( !( !( !( 1811 1883 !( !( !(!( !(!(!(!(!( !( 1827 Winston-Salem Greensboro 36°N 36!(°N !( !( !( !(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!( !( !( !( !( !( !( !(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!( !(!("!( " !( !( !(!(!( !(!(!(!( !( !( !( !( !( 1970 !( !( !( !( epicenters. Geologists call these seismic zones. The long cluster of circles stretching from !( !( !( !(!( !( !(!( !(!( !( 1926-5.2 1916 !( !( !( !(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!( !( !(!( !( 1960-3.3!( (! Durham !( !( 1895 !( !( !( !(!(!(!(!(!( !(!( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( " 4 !( !( !(!(!( !(!( !( !(!( 2005 !( 196 !( !( " Tennessee through the edge of western North Carolina into northern Georgia and !( !(!(!( !(!(!(!(!(!( !(!(!(!( !( !( !( High Point !( !( !( !( !( !( !(!( !(!( !(!( !(!(!(!(!( !( !( !( !( !( Raleigh !( !(!(!(!( !(!( 1940!(!( !(!( !(!( !(!(!( 1993 !( 1981 !( !( !( !(!(!(!(!(!(!( !( !( 1915 !(!( Alabama is known as the Eastern Tennessee Seismic Zone (ETSZ). Scientists are studying !( !( !(!(!( !( !(!(!( !(!(!(!(!( !(!(!(!( (! !( !( !(!(!(!(!(!( !(!(!(!(!( !( !( !( !( !( !(!(!(!( !(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!( !( !( !( !( !( !( 1957 !( _ !( !( !( !( !(!(!( !(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!( !(!(!(!(!(!( !( !( 1851 !( !( !( !( !( !( 1928 !( this region to determine why so many earthquakes happen here. !( !( !( !(!(!( !(!(!( !(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!( !(!(!( !( !( 1941!( !( !( !( !( !( !( !(!(!(!(!(!(!(!( !(!(!(!(!( !(!(!( !( !( 1958 !( Greenville !(!( !(!( !(!( !( !(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!( !( 1957 1874 " !( !(!( !( !(!( !(!(!(!(!( !(!( !(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!( !( !( Asheville 1998 !( !( !( !(!( !(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!( !(!(!(!(!(!( !( !(!( 2006 " !( !( !( !(!(!(!(!( !(!(!(!( !(!( !(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!( !(!( !( !(!( 1916 1981 !( !( !(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!( !( !(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!( !( !(!( !( !( !( !( !( !(!( !(!(!( !( !(!(!(!( !( !(!( !(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!( !( !(!( !( !( !( !(!(!( !( !( !( !(!(!( !(!( !(!( !(!( !( !(!(!( !( !( !(!(!( !( !( 1850 The 1886 Charleston earthquake occurred in the Charleston Seismic Zone (CSZ). !( !( !( !( !(!( !( !(!( !(!(!( !(!(!( 1988 !( !( !(!( !(!(!(!(!( !(!(!(!( !(!(!(!(!(!(!( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( (! !( !( !(!(!( !( !( !( !( !(!( !(!( !(!(!( !(!(!(!( !(!(!( !( !( !( !( 1979 1983 1981 1928 NORTH CAROLINA There are also small groups of circles in other areas of the southeast. On December 9, 2003, !(!( !( !( !( !(!( !( !( !(!(!( !(!( !( !(!(!( !(!(!(!(!(!(!(!( !( !( !(!(!(!( !(!( !( !( !( !( !(!( !( !(!(!(!(!( !(!( !(!( !(!(!(!( !( !(!(!( !( !( !(!(!(!( !(!( !(!( !( !( !( 1776 !( Gastonia !( !( !( !( !( !( !(!(!( !(!(!( !( !( !(!(!(!( !( !( !( !( !( " Charlotte !( 1994 a 4.5 magnitude earthquake occurred near Richmond, Virginia, and was felt as far south !( !( !( !( !( !(!(!( !(!(!( !( !(!( !( !(!( !( !( !( !( 1882 !( !( !( !(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!( !(!(!( !( !( !( "!( !( !( !(!( !( !( !(!( !( !( 1935 !( 1911 !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !(!( !( !( !( !( !( 1879 Fayetteville !( !( 35°N 35°N !( !( !( !( !(!( as Raleigh. This earthquake occurred in the Central Virginia Seismic Zone (CVSZ). There is !( !( !( !(!( !( !(!( !( !( !( !(!( !( !( !( " !( !( !( !(!( !(!(!( !(!(!( !(!(!( 1957 !( !( !( !( !( !(!( !( !( !( !(!(!(!(!(!( !(!(!( !( !( !(!(!(!(!(!( a similar seismic zone in western Virginia called the Giles County Seismic Zone (GCSZ). !(!(!( !( !( !(!(!( !(!( !( !( !( !(!( !( !( !( !( !( !(!(!(!( !(!( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !(!( !(!( !(!( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !(!( !( !( !( !(!( !(!(!(!( !( !( !( !( !( !(!(!(!(!(!( !(!( !( !( !( !( !( !(!(!( !(!(!(!( Jacksonville !( !(!( !( !( !(!(!(!(!( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( " It is very important to realize that North Carolina and the east coast of the United States !( !( !(!(!(!(!( !(!(!( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !(!(!(!(!( !(!( !( !( !( are not in an active fault zone like California and the West Coast. All of the known faults in !(!(!(!( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !(!( !( !(!( !(!( 1882 !( !( !(!( !( !(!( !( !( !(!( !( North Carolina are inactive and ancient. Conversely, in California, there are many active !(!( !( !( !( !( !(!( !(!( !( !( !( !( !( faults where earthquakes occur regularly. Most of the earthquakes in North Carolina are !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !( !(!( !( 1871 !( !( !( !(!( !( 0 50 Miles just small, random, scattered movements of the earth’s crust. The locations of earthquake !( !(!( !(!( !( 1884 !( 1958 !( !( !( " !( !( !( n !( epicenters in our state do not line up with known faults (as they do in California). This !(!( !( !( !( Wilmingto SCALE 1:1,500,000 !( !( Lambert Conformal Conic projection: 34°N 34°N !( !( !( !( !( !( Columbia 1968 standard parallels at 33.0000 degrees latitude and indicates that the inactive faults are not responsible for the earthquakes in our state. !( !( !( !( !( at 38.0000 degrees latitude !(!( !( !( !(!(!( !( _ You can think of our earthquakes like the creaking and settling of an old house. !( !( !( !( !(!( central meridian is -81.0000 degrees longitude !(!( !( !(!(!( !( !( !( origin: 31.3333 degrees latitude Atlanta !(!( !( 1927 !( !( !( !( datum: North American 1983 !( !( Information Sources on the Web: !( !(!( _ !(!( !(!( !( !(!( !( !( !( !( !( !( Seismic Zones of the Southeast North Carolina Department of Crime Control and Public Safety, Division of Emergency Management: Earthquake History, !( !( !( !( !( Legend 86°W 84°W 82°W 80°W 78°W 76°W Response and Emergency Kit. http://www.nccrimecontrol.org/ !(!( !( !( SOUTH CAROLINA !( !( Charleston (! !( !( Earthquake epicenters (magnitude) 38°N Frankfort !(!( !( 38°N !( !( !( micro quake Giles County !( !( 0.0 - 2.9 Richmond United States Geological Survey (USGS) information about earthquakes and "Preparedness and Response" (includes links !( !( !( !(!( !(!( Seismic Zone !( !(!( !(!(!( to American Red Cross and FEMA): http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learning/preparedness.php !( !(!(!( !(!( minor quake !( !( !( (! 3.0 - 3.9 East Tennessee !( !( !( Central Virginia !( !( !( Seismic Zone !( GEORGIA !( !(!( light quake Seismic Zone USGS general information about earthquakes and educational resources: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learning/index.php !( !( !( (! 4.0 - 4.9 !( !( 36°N 33°N 33°N !( !( 36°N !( !( !( !( Raleigh !( !(!(!(!( moderate !( !(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!( 5.0 - 5.9 Data Sources: !(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!( !( quake !( !( !(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(!(