1984 Morgan Hill earthquake

1984 Morgan Hill earthquake

Eureka Reno Sacramento Bishop Gabbs Bakersfield Pismo Beach
UTC time	1984-04-24 21:15:21
ISC event	555788
USGS-ANSS	ComCat
Local date	April 24, 1984 (1984-04-24)
Local time	13:15:21 PST
Magnitude	6.2 Mw[1]
Depth	10 km (6.2 mi)[1]
Epicenter	37.28°N 121.76°W / 37.28; -121.76[1]
Fault	Calaveras Fault
Type	Strike-slip[2]
Areas affected	South Bay Northern California United States
Total damage	$7.5–8 million[3][4]
Max. intensity	MMI VIII (Severe)[4]
Peak acceleration	1.3 g at Coyote Dam[5]
Landslides	Yes[4]
Casualties	21–27 injured[3][4] No fatalities

The 1984 Morgan Hill earthquake (also known as the Halls Valley earthquake)^[6] occurred on April 24 at 1:15 p.m. local time in the Santa Clara Valley of Northern California. The shock had a moment magnitude of 6.2 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe). The epicenter was located near Mount Hamilton in the Diablo Range of the California Coast Ranges. Nearby communities (including Morgan Hill) sustained serious damage with financial losses of at least US$7.5 million.

Earthquake

The earthquake occurred along the Calaveras Fault, with the epicenter 16 kilometers (9.9 mi) northeast of San Jose, and at a depth of 8 km (5.0 mi). The shock was felt in Sacramento in California's central valley.^[7]

Damage

The earthquake was reported to be felt over an area of 120,000 square kilometers (46,000 sq mi). Morgan Hill was the worst affected, with a number of mobile homes sliding off foundations, and moderate damage to several masonry buildings in the city. The communities of San Jose, San Martin and Coyote were some areas that experienced minor damage.^[6] In Santa Clara County, over 550 buildings were reported to have received at least minor damage.

Aftershocks

The outline of aftershocks show that the rupture propagated southeast over a 25 km (16 mi) section of the fault, as far as San Martin, to the location of the 1979 Coyote Lake earthquake's mainshock. That event's aftershock zone also stretched to the southeast.^[7]

See also

• List of earthquakes in California

References

1. ISC (2015), ISC-GEM Global Instrumental Earthquake Catalogue (1900–2009), Version 2.0, International Seismological Centre
2. Cockerham, R.S.; Eaton, J.P. (1987), "The Earthquake and its Aftershocks, April 24 through September 30, 1984" (PDF), The Morgan Hill, California, Earthquake of April 24, 1984, U.S. Geological survey Bulletin 1639, United States Geological Survey, p. 17
3. PAGER-CAT Earthquake Catalog, Version 2008_06.1, United States Geological Survey, September 4, 2009
4. Stover, C. W.; Coffman, J. L. (1993), Seismicity of the United States, 1568–1989 (Revised), U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1527, United States Government Printing Office, pp. 97, 175
5. Shakal, A.; Gay Jr., T. E.; Sherburne, R. (August 1984), "Morgan Hill earthquake – Caused record shaking force" (PDF), California Geology: 163, archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-11-11, retrieved 2013-11-13
6. "The Morgan Hill Earthquake of 1984". Earthquakes in Your Backyard – And Tsunamis. Archived from the original on 2008-12-08. Retrieved 2009-05-29.
7. Toppozada, T. R. (1984). "Morgan Hill Earthquake of April 1984". California Geology. 37 (7).

External links

• M 6.2 – Northern California – United States Geological Survey
• The International Seismological Centre has a bibliography and/or authoritative data for this event.