1957 San Francisco earthquake
 Albion
Knights Landing
Camanche
Gustine
Chualar
 |
|
| Magnitude | 5.7 Mw [1] |
|---|---|
| Depth | 15 km (9.3 mi) [1] |
| Epicenter | Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. [1] |
| Type | Oblique-slip |
| Areas affected | San Francisco Bay Area Northern California United States |
| Total damage | $1 million [2] |
| Max. intensity | VII (Very strong) [2] |
| Peak acceleration | 0.18g [3] |
| Landslides | Yes [4] |
| Casualties | 1 dead, 40 injured [2] |
The 1957 San Francisco earthquake (also known as the Daly City earthquake of 1957) occurred on March 22 at 11:44:22 local time with a moment magnitude of 5.7 and a maximum Mercalli Intensity of VII (Very strong). It was located just off the San Francisco Peninsula near the San Andreas Fault and was felt in a limited portion of Northern and Central California. There was a non-destructive foreshock and aftershock sequence that lasted for several months. With financial losses of around US$1 million, damage was considered minimal, with one death and forty injuries.
Contents
Tectonic setting
The San Andreas Fault is a northwest-striking transform fault that accommodates motion between the Pacific and North American Plates. The Mendocino Triple Junction is an area of high seismicity, and marks its northern extremity at the Gorda Plate, which is subducting beneath the North American Plate. Three moderate events in the San Francisco Bay Area occurred on or near the San Andreas Fault in the early nineteenth-century.[5]
Earthquake
Eight foreshocks (with a maximum magnitude of 3.8) preceded the main event. The first motion method was used to determine the focal mechanism of the mainshock. It was found to be dissimilar from the 1906 earthquake, and instead showed oblique movement on a steeply-dipping thrust fault, with the eastern side of the fault rising relative to the western side. The strike-slip component was minimal; only about half as much as the thrust component.[4]
Damage
Damage was non-structural and was limited to content within buildings and cracked plaster and was estimated at $1 million, not including loss to building content. The most significant effects were seen in the western portion of Daly City and in the Lake Merced area of San Francisco. The minimal losses were attributed to the short duration and lack of high intensity shaking.[6]
Strong motion
The event was felt over an area of 12,000 square miles. Its scientific value was reinforced because it was captured on 13 strong motion instruments. A maximum (free field) peak ground acceleration of 0.13g was recorded in Golden Gate Park and .18g was recorded on the fourteenth floor of a building in San Francisco.[3]
See also
- List of earthquakes in 1957
- List of earthquakes in California
- List of earthquakes in the United States
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
