Virginia Seismic Zone

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The Virginia Seismic Zone in the U.S. state of Virginia covers about 8,000 square kilometres (3,100 sq mi) in the Piedmont province. Earthquakes in the state are irregular and rarely reach over 4.5 in magnitude.

List of earthquakes

Date Magnitude Location Comments
1774-02-21February 21, 1774 4.5 Near Petersburg, Prince George County
1833-08-27August 27, 1833 4.5 Central Virginia
1852-04-02April 2, 1852 4.3 Near Buckingham Central Virginia, about 35 miles south of Charlottesville
1852-04-29April 29, 1852 4.9 Near Wytheville, Wythe County
1875-12-22December 22–23, 1875 4.5 Central Virginia Near the James River waterfront in Goochland and Powhatan Counties, and in Louisa County
1897-05-03May 3, 1897 4.3 near Radford Southwest Virginia
1897-05-31May 31, 1897 5.8[1] or 5.9[2] Giles County Largest earthquake in intensity; large areal extent with aftershocks continuing through June 6, 1897[3]
1898-02-05February 5, 1898 unknown Pulaski
1907-02-11February 11, 1907 unknown Near Arvonia, Buckingham County
1918-04-09April 9–10, 1918 unknown Luray, Page County
1919-09-05September 5–6, 1919 unknown Near Front Royal, Warren County
1929-12-25December 25–26, 1929 unknown Charlottesville, Albemarle County
1959-04-23April 23, 1959 3.8 Giles County strongest at Eggleston and Pembroke[4]
1975-04-11April 11, 1975 unknown Southwest Virginia, near Blacksburg, Montgomery County
1997-09-29September 29, 1997 2.3 Near Manassas
2003-12-09December 9, 2003 15:59 EST 4.5 37.599°N, 77.932°W in the foothills about 30 miles (48 km) west of Richmond
2008-05-06May 6, 2008 13:30 EDT 1.9 38.80°N, 77.15°W epicenter 1 mile SW Annandale[5]
2009-05-16May 16, 2009 04:08 EDT 3.0 37.25°N, 80.00°W in Roanoke County, just outside the City of Roanoke[6]
2009-07-06July 6, 2009 23:59:52 EDT 2.3 37.64°N, 77.64°W about 1 km SW of Short Pump; Magnitude 2.3[7]
2010-07-16July 16, 2010 05:18 EDT 3.4 39.187°N, 77.286°W between Germantown and Gaithersburg, Maryland;[8]
2011-08-23 August 23, 2011 13:51 EDT[9] 5.8 37.936°N, 77.933°W Louisa County, 5 miles SSW of Mineral and 37 miles NW of Richmond
2014-05-21May 21, 2014 21:47 EDT 3.2 37.462°N, 78.040°W Amelia County, 8 mi N of Amelia

2003 earthquakes

On December 9, 2003 at 3:59 pm EST (20:59 UTC), a magnitude 4.5 event occurred near Farmville about 30 miles (48 km) west of Richmond, and was felt strongly across the state. Tremors were reported in North Carolina, Washington DC, and suburban Maryland, eastern West Virginia, southern Pennsylvania, and portions of the Delmarva Peninsula. This event was located at 37.728° N, 78.087° W, at a depth of less than 5 km (3.1 mi) and may have occurred due to rupture along the Lakeside fault.[10]

The December earthquake was preceded by a magnitude 3.8 event on May 5, 2003 whose epicenter was located approximately 40 miles NNE near Cartersville.[11]

2011 earthquake

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Main article: 2011 Virginia earthquake

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported that a magnitude 5.8 Mw earthquake hit Virginia on Tuesday, August 23, 2011, at 17:51:04 UTC (1:51 pm Eastern Daylight Time). The quake occurred at an approximate depth of 3.7 miles and was centered in Louisa County (location at 37.936°N, 77.933°W), 5 miles SSW of Mineral, Virginia and 37 miles NW of Richmond, Virginia's capital.[9] Shaking was felt from Atlanta, Georgia to Illinois to Detroit, Michigan to Barrie, Ontario to New Brunswick.[12][13] Many Washington, DC buildings saw precautionary evacuations.[14][15] The earthquake caused an estimated $70 million in damage in Louisa County and forced Louisa County High School and Thomas Jefferson Elementary School to close for the year as well as rendered about a dozen homes unlivable.[16][17] Other buildings were damaged as far away as Prince George's County, Maryland. Three decorative pinnacles at Washington National Cathedral fell.[18] The Washington Monument was closed due to cracks in the top section.

A 4.2 aftershock occurred in central Virginia at approximately 8:05 pm EDT, August 23, 2011.

Another 4.5 magnitude was detected just south of Mineral on August 25, 2011 at 1:07:50 EDT. [19]

Another 3.2 magnitude was detected 8 miles southwest of Powhatan, 30 miles west of Richmond on May 21, 2014 at 9:47:14 EDT, epicenter location 37.462°N 78.040°W [20]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ "Historic Earthquakes – Giles County Virginia"
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/dyfi/events/se/082311a/us/se082311a_ciim_zoomout.pdf
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ [1]

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