List of earthquakes in the United States
Encyclopedia
The following is a list of notable earthquake
s which had their epicenter
in areas that are now part of the United States
.
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
s which had their epicenter
Epicenter
The epicenter or epicentre is the point on the Earth's surface that is directly above the hypocenter or focus, the point where an earthquake or underground explosion originates...
in areas that are now part of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
| Date | State | Magnitude | Fatalities | | Further information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.7 - 9.2 | 1700 Cascadia earthquake | |||
| Massachusetts(then Massachusetts Bay Colony | 5.9 | 1755 Cape Ann earthquake 1755 Cape Ann Earthquake The Cape Ann Earthquake took place off the coast of the British Province of Massachusetts Bay on November 18, 1755. At between 6.0 and 6.3 on the Richter scale, it remains the largest earthquake in the history of Massachusetts... |
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| Missouri | 7.2 - 8.1 | 1811-1812 New Madrid earthquakes | ||
| California | 7.9 | 2 | 1857 Fort Tejon earthquake | |
| Kansas | 5.1 | 1867 Manhattan earthquake | ||
| Hawaii | 7.9 | 77 | 1868 Hawaii earthquake 1868 Hawaii earthquake The 1868 Hawaii earthquake is the largest recorded in the history of Hawaii island, causing a landslide and tsunami that led to 77 deaths. The earthquake occurred at 4 p.m. local time on April 2, 1868... |
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| California | 6.8 - 7.0 | 30 | 1868 Hayward earthquake 1868 Hayward earthquake The 1868 Hayward earthquake was the last large earthquake to occur on the Hayward Fault Zone in the San Francisco Bay Area, California, United States. It caused significant damage throughout the region, and was known as the "Great San Francisco Earthquake" prior to the 1906 San Francisco earthquake... |
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| Washington | 6.5 - 7.0 | 1872 North Cascades earthquake 1872 North Cascades earthquake The 1872 North Cascades earthquake struck Washington state on December 14, 1872. Causing intense shaking in Oregon, Idaho, Montana, British Columbia, and Alberta, the earthquake's magnitude was between 6.8 and 7.4... |
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| California | 7.6 - 8.0+ | 27 | 1872 Lone Pine earthquake 1872 Lone Pine earthquake The Great Lone Pine earthquake was one of the largest earthquakes to hit California in recorded history. The quake struck on March 26, 1872 and its epicenter was near Lone Pine, California in Owens Valley... |
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| South Carolina | 7.3 | 60-110 | 1886 Charleston earthquake | |
| California | 7.9 | 3000+ | 1906 San Francisco earthquake 1906 San Francisco earthquake The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was a major earthquake that struck San Francisco, California, and the coast of Northern California at 5:12 a.m. on Wednesday, April 18, 1906. The most widely accepted estimate for the magnitude of the earthquake is a moment magnitude of 7.9; however, other... |
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| Indiana | 5.1 | 1909 Wabash River earthquake 1909 Wabash River earthquake The 1909 Wabash River earthquake occurred on September 27, 1909, in the Wabash River Valley. Measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale, it is currently the strongest earthquake recorded in the U.S. state of Indiana.-Geography:... |
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| Nevada | 7.1 | 1915 Pleasant Valley earthquake 1915 Pleasant Valley earthquake The 1915 Pleasant Valley earthquake occurred in Pleasant Valley, in north-central Nevada, on October 3, 1915. It is currently the strongest earthquake ever recorded in the state.-Geography:... |
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| Texas | 5.8 | 0 | 1931 Valentine earthquake 1931 Valentine earthquake The 1931 Valentine earthquake occurred on August 16, 1931, in the town of Valentine, Texas.At magnitude 5.8, it remains the most powerful earthquake historically recorded in the state of Texas.... |
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| California | 6.4 | 120 | 1933 Long Beach earthquake 1933 Long Beach earthquake The Long Beach earthquake of 1933 took place on March 10, 1933 at 17:55 PST , with a magnitude of 6.4, causing widespread damage to buildings throughout Southern California. The epicenter was offshore, southeast of Long Beach on the Newport-Inglewood Fault. An estimated fifty million dollars worth... |
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| New Hampshire | 5.5 | 1940 New Hampshire earthquake 1940 New Hampshire earthquake The 1940 New Hampshire earthquake struck on December 20, 1940, with a force of Richter scale magnitude 5.5. The greatest earthquake recorded to hit the state, it hit central New Hampshire with a maximum VII intensity and was followed by a similar-sized earthquake four days later.Damage from the... |
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| Alaska | 7.8 | 165 | 1946 Aleutian Islands earthquake | |
| Wisconsin | Unknown | 0 | 1947 Wisconsin earthquake 1947 Wisconsin earthquake The 1947 Wisconsin earthquake took place on May 6, 1947, immediately south of Milwaukee at 4:25 a.m. It was the largest tremor to be historically documented in Wisconsin, but it was not recorded.- History :... |
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| California | 6.0 - 6.5 | 0 | 1948 Desert Hot Springs earthquake 1948 Desert Hot Springs earthquake The 1948 Desert Hot Springs Earthquake occurred on December 4, 1948 at approximately 3:43 PM Pacific Standard Time. It was a right-lateral strike-slip event on the South Branch of the San Andreas fault... |
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| Washington | 7.1 | 8 | 1949 Olympia earthquake 1949 Olympia Earthquake The 1949 Olympia earthquake occurred on April 13, 1949 at 19:55 UTC , and is the largest recorded earthquake to occur in the Puget Sound region of Washington, with a magnitude of 7.1.... |
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| California | 7.5 | 14 | 1952 Kern County earthquake 1952 Kern County earthquake The 1952 Kern County earthquake occurred on July 21, 1952, in Kern County, California, with a magnitude of 7.5Mw. It was the largest earthquake to strike Southern California since the Fort Tejon earthquake of 1857 and the 1872 Lone Pine earthquake, causing immense and widespread damage. The main... |
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| Alaska | 8.6 | 0 | 1957 Andreanof Islands earthquake 1957 Andreanof Islands earthquake The 1957 Andreanof Islands earthquake was a magnitude 8.6 MW megathrust earthquake that took place on March 9, 1957. It was centered at in the Alaska-Aleutian megathrust, south of the Andreanof Islands group of the Aleutian Islands in the U.S... |
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| Alaska | 8.3 | 5 | 1958 Lituya Bay earthquakes 1958 Lituya Bay megatsunami The 1958 Lituya Bay megatsunami occurred on July 9, 1958, when an earthquake triggered a landslide that caused 30 million cubic meters of rock and ice to fall into the narrow inlet of Lituya Bay, Alaska... |
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| Montana, Wyoming | 7.3 - 7.5 | 28+ | 1959 Yellowstone earthquake 1959 Yellowstone earthquake The 1959 Yellowstone earthquake also known as the Hebgen Lake earthquake was a powerful earthquake that occurred on August 17, 1959 at 11:37 pm in southwestern Montana. The earthquake was registered at magnitude 7.3 – 7.5 on the Richter scale... |
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| Alaska | 9.2 | 143 | 1964 Alaska earthquake | |
| Alaska | 8.7 | 0 | 1965 Rat Islands earthquake 1965 Rat Islands earthquake The 1965 Rat Islands earthquake occurred at 05:01 UTC, on 4 February. It had a magnitude of 8.7 and triggered a tsunami of over 10 m on Shemya Island, but caused very little damage.-Damage:... |
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| Washington | 6.5 | 3 | 1965 Olympia earthquake 1965 Olympia earthquake On April 29, 1965, at about 0830 Pacific Daylight Time, the Seattle-Tacoma-Olympia area suffered a moderately strong earthquake. The University of California determined the Richter magnitude as about 6.5 and the possible epicenter as north and west of Gig Harbor, Washington.Depth of focus was... |
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| Illinois | 5.4 | 0 | 1968 Illinois earthquake 1968 Illinois earthquake The 1968 Illinois earthquake was the largest recorded earthquake in the U.S. Midwestern state of Illinois. Striking at 11:02 a.m. on November 9, it measured 5.4 on the Richter scale... |
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| California | 5.6 - 5.7 | 1 | 1969 Santa Rosa earthquakes | |
| California | 6.6 | 65 | 1971 San Fernando earthquake | |
| Minnesota | 4.6 | 0 | 1975 Morris earthquake 1975 Morris earthquake The 1975 Morris earthquake occurred in Morris, Minnesota, on July 9, 1975 at 14:54:15 UTC, or 9:54 a.m. The strongest instrumentally recorded rupture in the history of the state, it registered at magnitude 4.6 on the Richter scale. It was the first earthquake to be recorded on any seismic... |
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| California | 6.5 | 0 | 1983 Coalinga earthquake 1983 Coalinga earthquake The 1983 Coalinga earthquake occurred on May 2, 1983 at exactly 23:42 UTC in Coalinga, California. The earthquake recorded 6.5 on the Richter scale. The earthquake was caused by an unknown fault buried under the surface.... |
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| Idaho | 7.3 | 2 | 1983 Borah Peak earthquake 1983 Borah Peak earthquake The 1983 Borah Peak earthquake occurred on October 28, 1983, in the Lost River Range at Borah Peak in central Idaho, United States. The most significant earthquake recorded in the state, it occurred on a Friday morning at 8:06 am MDT. The earthquake was a magnitude 7.3, and 6.9 on the Richter scale... |
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| California | 6.2 | 0 | 1984 Morgan Hill earthquake 1984 Morgan Hill earthquake The 1984 Morgan Hill Earthquake was a magnitude 6.2 earthquake that occurred on April 24, 1984 at 1:15 PM local time, in the south San Francisco Bay Area, California... |
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| California | 5.9 | 8 | 1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake | |
| California | 6.9 | 63 | 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake | |
| April 25–26, 1992 | California | 6.5 - 7.2 | 0 | 1992 Cape Mendocino earthquakes 1992 Cape Mendocino earthquakes The 1992 Cape Mendocino earthquakes were a series of three earthquakes that occurred off the coast of Cape Mendocino, California on April 25 and 26, 1992. They consisted of a 7.2-magnitude main shock and two strong aftershocks that spawned a series of smaller aftershocks that ranged in magnitude... |
| California | 7.3 | 3 | 1992 Landers earthquake 1992 Landers earthquake The 1992 Landers earthquake was a magnitude 7.3 earthquake that occurred on June 28, 1992 with an epicenter near the town of Landers, California... |
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| California | 6.5 | 0 | 1992 Big Bear earthquake 1992 Big Bear earthquake The 1992 Big Bear earthquake was an earthquake that occurred at 08:05 PDT local time on 28 June 1992 in Big Bear Lake, California, with a magnitude of 6.5. This earthquake occurred three hours after the 7.3 magnitude Landers earthquake, which was centered to the east... |
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| Oregon | 5.6 | 0 | 1993 Scotts Mills earthquake | |
| California | 6.7 | 33 | 1994 Northridge earthquake | |
| Texas | 5.7 | 0 | 1995 Marathon earthquake 1995 Marathon earthquake Striking on April 14, 1995, the 1995 Marathon earthquake was recorded at magnitude 5.7. It rattled buildings near the epicenter.- Geography :The earthquake struck western Texas with magnitude 5.7 force. The epicenter was probably in Alpine.... |
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| Washington | 5.6 | 0 | 1996 Duvall earthquake Duvall earthquake The Duvall Earthquake is an earthquake that hit Duvall, Washington, just outside of Seattle, at 9:04pm on May 2, 1996. The exact location was 47.76 N latitude, 121.85 W longitude. It hit with Magnitude 5.6, and could be felt all over western Washington, northern Oregon, southern British Columbia,... |
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| Pennsylvania | 5.2 | 0 | 1998 Pymatuning earthquake 1998 Pymatuning earthquake The 1998 Pymatuning earthquake occurred in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania on September 25, 1998. With a magnitude of 5.2, it was the greatest recorded earthquake in Pennsylvania's history.- Location :... |
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| California | 7.1 | 0 | 1999 Hector Mine earthquake | |
| Washington | 6.8 | 1 | 2001 Nisqually earthquake | |
| Alaska | 7.9 | 0 | 2002 Denali earthquake 2002 Denali earthquake The 2002 Denali earthquake occurred at 22:12:41 UTC November 3, 2002, with an epicenter 66 km ESE of Denali National Park, Alaska, United States. This 7.9 Mw earthquake was the largest recorded in the interior of the United States for more than 150 years. The shock was the strongest ever... |
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| Alabama | 4.6 | 0 | 2003 Alabama earthquake | |
| Virginia | 4.5 | 0 | 2003 Virginia earthquake | |
| California | 6.5 | 2 | 2003 San Simeon earthquake | |
| Florida | 5.8 | 0 | 2006 Gulf of Mexico earthquake 2006 Gulf of Mexico earthquake The 2006 Gulf of Mexico earthquake was a 5.8 magnitude earthquake that hit the Gulf of Mexico on September 10, 2006, about 250 miles west-southwest of Anna Maria, Florida around 10:56 AM EDT.... |
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| Hawaii | 6.7 | 0 | 2006 Hawaii earthquake 2006 Hawaii earthquake The 2006 Hawaii earthquake was an offshore earthquake occurring southwest from Puakō and north of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, just offshore of the Kona Airport, on Sunday October 15, 2006 at 7:07:49 AM local time . It measured 6.7 on the moment magnitude scale, and was located at , at a depth of... |
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| California | 5.6 | 0 | 2007 Alum Rock earthquake 2007 Alum Rock earthquake The 2007 Alum Rock earthquake occurred on October 30, 2007 at approximately 8:04 p.m. PDT in Alum Rock Park in San Jose, California... |
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| Alaska | 7.2 | 0 | 2007 Andreanof Islands earthquake 2007 Andreanof Islands earthquake The 2007 Andreanof Islands Earthquake was a magnitude 7.2 earthquake that took place on December 19, 2007, at 09:30:30 UTC. It was centered at , west of Adak in the Andreanof Islands group of the Aleutian Islands in the U.S. state of Alaska.... |
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| Illinois | 5.4 | 0 | 2008 Illinois earthquake 2008 Illinois earthquake The 2008 Illinois earthquake was one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded in the state of Illinois, measuring a magnitude of 5.4. It occurred at 4:37:00am CDT on April 18 within the Wabash Valley Seismic Zone at a depth of 11.6 km... |
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| California | 5.5 | 0 | 2008 Chino Hills earthquake 2008 Chino Hills earthquake The 2008 Chino Hills earthquake occurred at 11:42:15 a.m. PDT on July 29, 2008, in Southern California. The epicenter of the magnitude 5.5 earthquake was in Chino Hills, approximately east-southeast of downtown Los Angeles.... |
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| California | 6.5 | 0 | 2010 Eureka earthquake | |
| Illinois | 3.8 | 0 | 2010 Illinois earthquake 2010 Illinois earthquake A magnitude 3.8 earthquake hit Northern Illinois at 03:59:35 a.m. CST on February 10, 2010. Originally measured at a magnitude 4.3 and a depth of , the earthquake's epicenter was about west-northwest of Chicago, east-northeast of the village of Virgil in Kane County, and northwest of the... |
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| California | 5.4 | 0 | 2010 Borrego Springs earthquake | |
| Indiana | 3.8 | 0 | 2010 Indiana earthquake 2010 Indiana Earthquake The 2010 Indiana earthquake was an earthquake that registered 3.8 on the Richter Scale and struck near Greentown on 30 December 2010 at 12:55:21 UTC at a depth of 4.9 km. The “extremely rare and unprecedented” earthquake had the largest magnitude of a northern Indiana earthquake in 175 years.... |
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| Colorado | 5.3 | 0 | 2011 Colorado earthquake 2011 Colorado earthquake The 2011 Colorado Earthquake was a magnitude 5.3 intraplate earthquake that occurred on August 22, 2011 at 11:46 PM MDT . The epicenter was west northwest of Trinidad, Colorado, South from the City of Denver, according to the United States Geological Survey... |
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| Virginia | 5.8 | 0 | 2011 Virginia earthquake 2011 Virginia earthquake The 2011 Virginia earthquake occurred on August 23, 2011, at 1:51 pm EDT in the Piedmont region of the U.S. state of Virginia. The epicenter, in Louisa County, was northwest of Richmond and south-southwest of the town of Mineral... |
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| Alaska | 6.8 | 0 | 2011 Alaska earthquake | |
| Oklahoma | 5.6 | 0 | 2011 Oklahoma earthquake 2011 Oklahoma earthquake The 2011 Oklahoma earthquake was a 5.6 magnitude intraplate earthquake which occurred on November 5, 2011, at 10:53 pm CDT in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. According to the U.S. Geological Survey , it was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in Oklahoma... |
External links
- List of historic U.S. earthquakes at the United States Geological Survey
- Earthquake data at the National Geophysical Data Center