1892 Laguna Salada earthquake
  San Diego Los Angeles San Quintín  | |
| UTC time | 1892-02-24 07:20[1] |
|---|---|
| USGS-ANSS | ComCat |
| Local date | 23 February 1892[1] |
| Local time | 23:20 Pacific standard time |
| Magnitude | 7.1–7.2 Mla |
| Epicenter | 32°44′N 115°30′W / 32.73°N 115.50°W [2] |
| Fault | Laguna Salada Fault |
| Type | Oblique-slip |
| Areas affected | Baja California Southern California |
| Max. intensity | MMI VIII (Severe)[1] |
| Casualties | None |
The 1892 Laguna Salada earthquake occurred at 23:20 Pacific Standard Time on February 23. It had an estimated moment magnitude of 7.1–7.2 and a maximum perceived intensity of VIII (Severe). The shock was centered near the Mexico–United States border and takes its name from a large dry lake bed in Baja California, Mexico. There were no reported casualties, but the event affected the then largely-uninhabited areas of northern Mexico and Southern California.
Tectonic setting
The
The Laguna Salada Fault shows combined normal (down to the southwest) and dextral (right-lateral) movement. Prior to 2010 it showed evidence of recent (probably historical) displacement with a 22 km (14 mi) zone of surface faulting, and 3–4 m (9.8–13.1 ft) of vertical displacement. This is interpreted to be associated with the 1892 earthquake.[3]
Earthquake
| Selected Mercalli intensities | ||
MMI |
Locations | |
|---|---|---|
| MMI VIII (Severe) | Carizzo Station, Hook Ranch | |
| MMI VII (Very strong) | Colorado Desert, El Cajon, CA | |
| MMI VI (Strong) | Jamul, CA, National City, CA | |
| MMI V (Moderate) | Julian, CA, Ensenada, Baja California | |
| Hough & Elliot 2004, pp. 1573, 1574 | ||
The earthquake was felt over a wide area from
Damage
A report from the Los Angeles Times the following day stated no damage was found in Los Angeles, but also specified that severe shocks were felt in San Diego.[5] Masonry walls were cracked in several buildings there, as well as the outlying communities of Otay and Jamul. At the abandoned Carrizo Creek Stage Station, in what is now Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in eastern San Diego county,[6] poorly built masonry was damaged and all adobe buildings were destroyed.[2][4] At Hook Ranch and Laguna Station the shaking was strong enough to throw people off their feet and at Dulzura Canyon and McCain Valley the ground was seen to move in waves. There were rockfalls at Bratton Valley, Tierra Blanca Canyon, Storm Canyon and Whale Peak and landslides at Dulzura Canyon and Devil's Canyon.[2]
Aftershocks
At Campo, California 155 aftershocks were felt in the first 12 hours after the mainshock and continued every few days for the next two months.[1]
Other events
The Laguna Salada fault moved again during the 2010 Baja California earthquake.[7]
See also
- List of earthquakes in California
- List of earthquakes in the United States
- List of historical earthquakes
References
- ^ United States Government Printing Office. p. 110.
- ^ doi:10.1785/012003244, archived from the original(PDF) on 2012-03-02, retrieved 2012-01-03
- ^ .
- ^ doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- ^ "The Earthquake; No Damage in the City; Heavy Shocks at San Diego; More Quakes This Morning", Los Angeles Times, February 25, 1892
- California Department of Parks and Recreation. Retrieved 2012-01-07.
- ^ United States Geological Survey (April 10, 2010). "Magnitude 7.2 – BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO". Archived from the original on 7 April 2010. Retrieved 5 January 2012.