Abstract
The Fredonia Earthquake that took place in Fredonia, Arizona on July 21st, 1959 was the largest earthquake to ever strike the state and it triggered a rockslide at Mather Point in the Grand Canyon.
Introduction
Earthquakes have been reported in Arizona since the mid 1800s in various areas of the state. The earliest known earthquakes to occur in Arizona took place near Fort Yuma on the California side of the Colorado River in 1852 and many tremors were reported throughout the year. Arizona is considered to be an earthquake-oriented state, yet there has never been a reported earthquake in Arizona that posed any casualties. Arizona can definitely be considered “earthquake
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territory,” and the following information provides validity. Arizona in the last year, has had 245 earthquakes. Although most of these have gone unfelt and been under a magnitude of 5, the state still constantly has to be aware. In the last year, the largest earthquake was a magnitude of 4.9. Compared to the earthquakes that happen in the neighboring state, this size is relatively small. Tectonic Setting The state of Arizona is located within the North American plate near the boundary line between the North American Plate and the Pacific Plate which is the San Andreas fault in California.
Most of Arizona’s earthquakes are associated with the San Andreas fault as most of Arizona’s earthquakes are shocks from epicenters located in California. Arizona has had earthquakes with epicenters located in its borders and just like the ones located near the San Andreas fault, they are linked to a transform plate boundary and are dip-slip earthquakes. Much of the focus of these earthquakes can be centered around the Grand Canyon as much of the after-effects of these earthquakes caused phenomenons to occur in the Grand Canyon. Many rockslides took place in the Grand Canyon and plenty of the cracks found in the canyon’s rock layers are attributed to some of the earthquakes that took place in Arizona since the geologic landscape formed its current …show more content…
structure. Characteristics of the Earthquakes Despite the fact that it is rare for an earthquake to happen inside the state of Arizona, they do happen on occasion. When earthquakes do occur, they tend to be seemingly harmless and small. For the most part, earthquakes tend to be no more than a magnitude of 5, with most falling in between 3 and 4. Because the magnitude is typically not high, the earthquake can be seen as Effects of the Earthquakes Natural disasters can always link to other natural disasters and that is the case with the earthquakes in Arizona. After many of Arizona’s earthquakes ruptured, landslides would occur in the Grand Canyon. No natural hazards took place in residential areas linked to the earthquakes but the rockslides that occurred in the Grand Canyon proceeded to reshape the way it is carved out. The largest earthquake to ever occur in Arizona took place on July 21st, 1959 (17:39:29 UTC) and entailed a magnitude 5.6 earthquake with an intensity level of Intensity VI. No injuries took place; but in Fredonia, Arizona there was minor damage to walls and chimneys of households in the area. In some residential areas, windows broke in houses and stores and objects would fall from the shelves located inside the buildings. The earthquake sent shocks as far as towns in Utah near the Arizona border that caused damaging effects similar to the ones that took place in Fredonia. Other Arizona earthquakes have caused damage to infrastructure, but weren’t as grand as the one that took place in 1959. Historical context The first reported earthquake to cause shaking in the state of Arizona happened in the year 1852. It can only be assumed that there have been earthquakes prior than this particular one, but not recorded, since Arizona lies so close to Southern California, near the San Andreas fault. Although earthquakes tend not to take place in Arizona, the state is still prone to its effects. In recorded history, no earthquake in Arizona has caused injury or death.
This is due to the fact that the earthquakes in Arizona don’t usually have an epicenter within the state’s borders. The first damaging earthquake known to have an epicenter within Arizona’s borders occurred on January 25th, 1906. The first known earthquake in Arizona with an epicenter in the state also occurred the same year as the great San Francisco earthquake which is the deadliest earthquake to ever occur within the United States. The shocks of the 1906 Arizona earthquake were strongest in Flagstaff and some of the shocks traveled as far as Socorro, New Mexico. Schools in Flagstaff were shut down as a result of the effects from the earthquake.
In 1910 a series of fifty-two earthquakes struck Arizona between September 10th-23rd and it caused much of the Flagstaff residents to flee the area as even strong households cracked and chimneys crumbled. The fifty-two earthquakes were all light-shock earthquakes with magnitudes between 4.0-4.2 that came right after another. If only one earthquake occurred in that timespan then it is likely that only objects would be knocked from shelves but no damage would be done to infrastructure, but the earthquakes happened right after another causing significant slight
damage. Arizona is one of the youngest states in the country enacting statehood on February 14th, 1912. The reported earthquakes that took place before then happened in what was American ‘territory’, the first earthquake to occur in Arizona since its statehood happened the same year it became a state on August 18th, 1912. The Arizona earthquake of 1912 struck a magnitude of 4.7 and caused the formation of a fifty-mile long crack in the Earth near the San Francisco Range and also caused rockslides to occur within range of the epicenter. Williams, Arizona was most affected by that earthquake as multiple homes were cracked and damaged. With a vast series of earthquakes occurring in Arizona in the late 1800s and early 1900s, the next Arizona earthquake didn’t occur until 1935. In 1935 a tremor erupted near Yuma and the residents of Yuma and Wellton were the biggest targets of the shocks. Eight days after the first shock an even bigger shock occurred that damaged and cracked households in those towns and caused several rockslides in the Grand Canyon. The residents of those towns felt the shocks and fled town fearing that their lives were at risk. Assessment of the risk future earthquakes Faults in Arizona can cause earthquakes up to a magnitude of 7.5, said a geological survey conducted by Mike Conway. Hundreds of earthquakes occur each year in the state of Arizona each year, but most of these go unfelt. The state is not far from major faults; including the San Andreas fault in California. Arizona in the past 100 years has not had very many severe earthquakes. Due to this, Geologists have identified almost 100 faults that most likely generated earthquakes magnitude 5 or larger in the last 2 million years. In the present, earthquake levels across the state are low. The most potential in the state for earthquakes, lies in the Grand Canyon. With a moderate hazard level, the Grand Canyon region has many faults that are capable of generating large earthquakes. Although the probability of a large earthquake in the state of Arizona is relatively low, it is still important to be aware of the possibility. Recommendations to reduce impact of future earthquakes No need to fear death by an earthquake if you live in Arizona. Many past citizens were frightened by tremors, but they never posed any risk to their lives. Even though there has never been any risk of lethal earthquakes taking place in Arizona, that doesn’t mean precautions should not be taken to prevent any significant damage to households and other infrastructure. In fact, as noted before, large movements of the ground, mainly due to earthquakes near the San Andreas Fault, have led to the breaking of windows and damaging of infrastructure. To prevent any major problems, it would be best if Conclusion Arizona can definitely be considered “earthquake country.” Even though Arizona doesn’t have a reputation for producing deadly earthquakes, it certainly has had its fair share of non-lethal ones. Most of the damage consisted of households shaking and some debris falling with the most intense earthquake in 1959 just shattering a few windows and chimneys.
The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake hit the Northern California coastline. The San Andreas fault shook 296 miles of the coast causing major damage throughout San Francisco, destroying about 80% of the city. Fires broke out throughout the city that lasted for several days. This was one of the worst Earthquakes recorded in history, killing 3,000 people.("The Great 1906 San Francisco Earthquake")
Tectonic plate movement can occur as close as two and up to 450 miles below the Earth’s surface. According to the Indiana Geological Survey, Indiana’s fault lines are further underground than those in California and Alaska, causing more minor quakes in the Midwest. However, Hoosiers should heed the recent earthquake as a warning for future quakes. Earthquakes can and do happen in Indiana, and almost anywhere else in the world. This is the one natural disaster that people cannot avoid no matter their location on Earth. And, being unprepared can have devastating results.
The Cascadia region has experienced several types of earthquakes and it is very likely to experienced similar quakes in the near future. Cascadia earthquakes fall into three major categories: The first type is shallow or crustal earthquakes which are caused by rupture of the faults in the North American Plate. The Scott Mills earthquake happened in 1993 and it occurred in the Willamette Valley. The second type is deep or intraplate earthquakes are caused by rupture faults within the subducting Juan de Fuca Plate, deep earthquakes are often the most damaging type of earthquakes. In 2001, a deep earthquake named the Nisqually hit the Puget Sound area of Western Washington. The third type is the Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquakes are the powerful and with the largest magnitude of 9 on the Richter scale. The Cascadia Subduction Zone is a bit more complicated than other two types of earthquakes. The zone separates the Juan de Fuca plates and the North American plate, subduction earthquakes happen when one plate is pushing beneath each other. When one of the faults ruptures, the overriding plate push upward generating frictional stress eventfully the stress reaches a critical point, a sudden failure occurs along the fault plane resulting in the “megathrust” earthquake rel...
Imagine if a 9.0 earthquake struck the West Coast today, resulting in a giant tsunami. Coastal towns would be washed away or completely isolated, and electricity would be lost (FOX5). There would be $70 billion in damage and people would only have 15 minutest to evacuate or move to higher ground resulting in 10,000 deaths (FOX5). This sounds like a plot for a scary movie, but this is actually a reality. The Oregon Coast in located on a subduction zone, which makes it very susceptible to major earthquakes and tsunamis. With the Cascadia subduction zone running along he West Coast the threat of a major tsunami is very real.
Earthquakes in California are certainly not a surprise. What is a surprise is their unpredictability and randomness. Geologists say there is roughly a 50 percent chance that a magnitude 8 or more quake will hit the Los Angeles area sometime over the next 30 years. And, over the past twenty years, the Los Angeles area has witnessed several earthquakes, and in particular, two that were quite devastating; the 1971 San Fernando earthquake, and the January 17, 1994, Northridge Earthquake. Given the certainty that earthquakes will occur, they still seem to come as a surprise, and leave many communities unprepared to deal with their aftermath.
...ncisco Earthquake, 1906." National Archives and Records Administration. National Archives and Records Administration, n.d. Web. 09 May 2014.
1906 San Francisco Earthquake Jared E. Gatchalian San Jose State University. 1906 San Francisco Earthquake The 1906 San Francisco earthquake was one of the largest earthquakes in the United States. Even though it only lasted less than a minute, the damage and aftermath of the earthquake were disastrous. These damages were not just from the earthquake, but also from other hazards that occurred because of it. It also had a huge effect on the people living in San Francisco.
At 5:12 a.m. on April 18th, 1906, the California city of San Francisco was awoken by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake. Chaos erupted with the earthquake leading to fire break outs throughout San Francisco (Cameron and Gordon. Pgs 69-73).The earthquake and the resulting fires caused destruction to majority of the city with buildings crumbling and igniting into flames. Many people died along with thousands and thousands of people being left homeless. This devastating earthquake left the city and United States in a financial crisis. Although the 1906 earthquake was one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history, the city of San Francisco was able to overcome these substantial physical, social and economic impacts it had.
Earthquakes have been recorded throughout history for thousands of years. Even before seismographs in early times, there are records and accounts of mysterious ground shaking. Earthquakes occur when rocks break along an underground fault (UPSeis, 2007). This, in return, causes vibrations through the earth which causes ground shaking. The magnitude of the shaking varies depending on how great the movement along the fault is; the greater the movement, the bigger the earthquake. Some earthquakes are huge and cause significant damage, while others are small and cause little or no damage what-so-ever. Earthquakes are unpredictable, and can happen at any time. It is uncertain where an earthquake will strike, but there is a greater risk of an earthquake for areas lying on or near a fault. No one is ever prepared for an earthquake, so the people affected must face a sometimes terrifying reality and can be scarred for life. One country in particular that has been severely affected from an earthquake is Italy. Over a century ago Messina, a city located in Sicily, was to face one of the most devastating natural events of the century.
Before examining the Northridge event, understanding the naturally occurring hazard that is an earthquake will help to better understand exactly what happened and why it was such an important geological event. With four distinct layers, two layers, the crust and upper portion of the mantle, compose the skin that is the surface layer of the Earth. The crust is not a single, continuous piece. It is actually several different pieces, or plates, that come together to form the puzzle that comprises the surface of the Earth. These plates are in constant motion rubbing against one another. These areas, known as fault lines, where the plates rub up against one another have spots where one plate ”gets stuck while the rest of the plate keeps moving. When the plate has moved far enough, the edges unstick and is how most of the earthquakes around the world occur” (Wald, 2012). The energy stored from the friction of the two plate...
benchmark for the future, and integrated investigation into the effects of earthquakes in the U.S.
During the period of October 3 to November 28 1935 a series of earthquakes, in the state capital of Helena, causing major damage. On the day of October 18th, a major earthquake was felt in western Montana and parts of Wyoming, Idaho and Canada. That is approximately 596,000 sq. kilometers
An earthquake occurs abruptly and causes severs damage to people, property, landscape and more. A great mega-thrust earthquake, known as the Great Tohoku Earthquake has shaken Japan at 5:46:24 UTC on March 11, 2011. It caused a severe disaster, including tsunami and nuclear radiation exposure.. This mega-quake located at the latitude 38.297 degree North and longitude of 142.372 degree East, near the east coast of Honshu, Japan (USGS, 2013). An earthquake and tsunami waves caused widespread damage to many areas of Japan. People in Japan are still recovering from the damages.
It was a beautiful day like any other with the clear blue sky and the
Earthquakes belong to the class of most disastrous natural hazards. They result in unexpected and tremendous earth movements. These movements results from dissemination of an enormous amount of intense energy in form of seismic waves which are detected by use of seismograms. The impact of earthquakes leaves behind several landmarks including: destruction of property, extensive disruption of services like sewer and water lines, loss of life, and causes instability in both economic and social components of the affected nation (Webcache 2).