DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY United States Earthquakes, 1978 By Carl A. Stover and Carl A. von Hake Open-File report 84-978 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 Contributors Contributors to this publication are listed below according to the type of data supplied or service performed: Hypocenters and magnitudes: John S. Derr, U.S. Geological Survey W. LeRoy Irby, U.S. Geological Survey R. Kangas, U.S. Geological Survey John H. Minsch, U.S. Geological Survey Russ Needham, U.S. Geological Survey Waverly J. Person, U.S. Geological Survey Bruce W. Presgrave, U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, U.S. Geological Survey Intensities: Carl W. Stover, U.S. Geological Survey Network Operations (by institution): University of Alaska University of California, Berkeley California Institute of Technology Kansas Geological Survey University of Oklahoma Oklahoma Geological Survey St. Louis University U.S. Geological Survey Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Geodesy: Sandford R. Holdahl, NOAA, NOS, National Geodetic Survey Richard A. Snay, NOAA, NOS, National Geodetic Survey William E. Strange, NOAA, NOS, National Geodetic Survey Tsunamis: Mark G. Spaeth, NOAA, National Weather Service Strong-motion seismograph data: Ronald L. Porcella, U.S. Geological Survey Editorial assistance and manuscript preparations: Paula K. Smith, U.S. Geological Survey Contents Page Contributors.............................................................ill Introd uct ion............................................................. 1 Discussion of Tables ................................................ 1 Epicenter Maps...................................................... 1 Earthquake Information Services..................................... 3 Magnitude and Intensity Ratings..................................... 3 Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale................................... 5 Acknowledgments..................................................... 7 Earthquake Descriptions.................................................. 9 Alabama............................................................. 9 Alaska.............................................................. 9 Arizona............................................................. 14 Arkansas............................................................ 15 California.......................................................... 15 California Off the coast........................................... 34 Colorado............................................................ 35 Delaware............................................................ 35 Florida............................................................. 35 Hawa ii.............................................................. 35 Idaho............................................................... 39 Illinois ............................................................ 40 Ind iana............................................................. 41 Maine............................................................... 41 Maryland............................................................ 41 Massachusetts....................................................... 41 Mississippi......................................................... 42 Missouri............................................................ 42 Montana............................................................. 43 Nebraska ............................................................ 44 Nev ad a.............................................................. 45 New Hampshire....................................................... 46 New Jersey.......................................................... 46 New Mexico.......................................................... 46 New York............................................................ 46 North Carolina...................................................... 47 Oklahoma............................................................ 47 Pennsylvania........................................................ 47 Puerto Rico......................................................... 48 South Carolina...................................................... 48 Tennessee........................................................... 48 Texas............................................................... 49 Utah................................................................ 49 Virginia............................................................ 50 Washington.......................................................... 51 Wyoming............................................................. 53 Network Operations....................................................... 82 Alaska Earthquakes, 1978............................................ 82 Northern and Central California Earthquakes, 1978................... 82 Southern California Earthquakes, 1978............................... 84 Central Mississippi Valley Earthquakes, 1978........................ 84 Kansas Earthquakes, 1978............................................ 85 Oklahoma Earthquakes, 1978.......................................... 88 Southeastern United States Earthquakes, 1978........................ 91 Virginia Earthquakes, 1978.......................................... 92 Miscellaneous Activities................................................. 93 Crustal Movement Stud ies............................................ 93 Tsunamis............................................................ 94 Principal Earthquakes of the World.................................. 94 Strong-Motion Seismograph Data........................................... 98 Introduction........................................................ 98 Accelerograph Data.................................................. 99 References............................................................... Ill LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1 Summary of U.S. earthquakes for 1978................................ 56 2 Station locations in Kansas......................................... 88 3 Microearthquake locations in Kansas for 1978........................ 88 4 Oklahoma earthquake catalog for 1978................................ 90 5 Southeastern United States earthquakes during 1978.................. 91 6 Virginia earthquakes during 1978.................................... 92 7 Principal earthquakes of the world during 1978...................... 95 8 Summary of U.S. accelerograph records recovered during 1978......... 104 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Page 1 Summary of earthquake epicenters in the conterminous United States for 1978. ........................................................... 2 2 Summary of earthquake epicenters in Alaska for 1978................. 2 3 Summary of earthquake epicenters in Hawaii for 1978................. 3 4 Earthquakes plotted by Modified Mercalli Intensity in the conterminous United States for 1978................................. 4 5 Earthquakes plotted by Modified Mercalli Intensity in Alaska for 1978. ............................................................... 4 6 Earthquakes plotted by Modified Mercalli Intensity in Hawaii for 1978................................................................ 5 7 Isoseismal map for the northern California earthquake of 26 March 1978. ............................................................... 17 8 Isoseismal map for the southern California earthquake of 4 June 1978 20 9 Isoseismal map for the southern California earthquake of 5 June 1978 21 10 Photograph of Southern Pacific Transportation Company freight train derailment west of Goleta, Calif.................................... 24 11 Isoseismal map for the southern California earthquake of 13 August 1978................................................................ 25 12 Photograph of damage to mobile home near Goleta, Calif.............. 26 13 Isoseismal map for the Lake Tahoe, Calif, earthquake of 4 September 1978................................................................ 28 14 Isoseismal map for the northern California earthquake of 8 September 1978................................................................ 29 15 Isoseismal map for the Owens Valley, California earthquake of 4 October 1978...................................................... 31 16 Isoseismal map for the central Idaho earthquake of 29 October 1978.. 40 17 Isoseismal map for the southeastern Idaho earthquake of 30 November 1978. ............................................................... 41 18 Isoseismal map for the southern Illinois earthquake of 5 December 1978................................................................ 42 19 Isoseismal map for the eastern Missouri earthquake of 20 September 1978. ............................................................... 43 Figure Continued Page 20 Isoseismal map for the western Montana earthquake of 23 April 1978.. 44 21 Isoseismal map for the southeastern Pennsylvania earthquake of 16 July 1978. ....................................................... 48 22 Isoseismal map for the west Texas earthquake of 16 June 1978........ 50 23 Isoseismal map for the Puget Sound, Washington earthquake of 11 March 1978....................................................... 52 24 Isoseismal map for the Puget Sound, Washington earthquake of 31 March 1978....................................................... 53 25 Isoseismal map for the Seattle,